Crimson Horizons: Rise of the Vampire Lords
by Hylindril
Summary: Edward has been bored and tormented with his vampire existence for the past 109 years. But when a mystical and mysterious new vampire called Bella enters his life he finally seems to come to terms with his existence. However, Bella isn't what she seems.
1. Prologue

Prologue

Though no one knows, and no eyes are left to span over the vast distance of countless eons; some do wonder how the immortal sprang from the hellfire's of creation. Mortals are ignorant forever. Though their past immortal families do rein the underworld coexisting with their own, and marvel at these antique and hushed whispers.

The unique and mystical tale of the four original Super Powers that have hence forsaken this world but not without leaving behind ancient turmoil in their fading footprints, that would soon infest and seed in the very new species that erupted from the Earth; Homo sapiens.

Vampire, Shape shifter, Werewolf, and Gargoyle emanated extraordinary and destructive warring upon an unsuspecting reborn world. Continents were torn asunder, the oceans parted in the uproar of their menacing screams, and humans became endless buffets of nourishment.

Millennia have past, and only few now live who recall and can project the age old wars of these ancient relics.

It just happens that one is about to amble and grace into the landscapes of the new world, and change the live of a descendant of the vampire seed.

Edward Cullen.


	2. Chapter 1

Boredom

(Edwards Point of View)

A rather intense and noticeable sigh escaped my cold lips as I drove my silver Volvo down the deserted and muddy road towards Forks High School. Yet another day pretending I wasn't a monster but a regular adolescent young male attending a normal educational facility. My tongue still graced over my venom coated teeth and attempted to reminisce over the delicious but at the same time somewhat stale taste of the two mountain lions I dismembered not two days ago. Though the taste was refreshing and mind clearing I couldn't help but protest and obscure in the mystery of it all.

In the past few months or rather years I began to question more frequently why I did what I did. Why I chose to continue this hollow and unfulfilling life. This abominable existence grew more tiresome with each passing day. The days grew to be longer, even the minutes seemed like centuries to me. It was as if the gods of time were mocking me, and deliberately slowed each beat of the clock to an equivalent of an hour. It was times like these I wished the Spanish Influenza had finished its devouring pilgrimage in my body, and had allowed me to pass on.

Emmett noticed my gloomy state and decided as always to respond thusly.

"You need a new hobby bro." He chuckled with taunting lights in the whites of his eyes. I had hoped that my black and annoyed glare in the rearview mirror would silence his unsuccessful humor but instead it only fueled it.

"Seriously though, what is it that you do these days? All the sulking and the preferred _leave me alone _speeches are really getting old Ed." I gripped my steering wheel tighter and noticed the leather screeching beneath my fingers but paid it no mind.

Sometimes I dazzled over whether or not Emmett only existed to irritate the very life out of me; if there was any left. He sat in the back of the car with Rosalie nestled next to him cuddled up to his chest. Her long blond locks fell gently over her marble countenance, and tried to hide her appeasing smile at Emmett's statement, though without success. Jasper sat next to Rosalie and stared blankly out the window at the apparent coming storm clouds.

_The sky always seems so dangerous here. Like something evil resides here that puts the weather in a foul mood. It looks so reaching and always goes further and further into the distance, like trying to catch up to its own shadow. _

Jasper, the hopeless philosopher though bringer of serenity and peace. His mind always seemed the easiest and most calming to look into when there was nowhere else to reside. I tried to give him and the others as much space as my generosity and control could master.

_Telepathy_ I thought disgusted. Yet another testament to my century worth of pain, wonderment, and apparently fate's cruel attempt to joke at my expense. As if the spoken word wasn't horrific enough at times; I had to hear them mentally too. Of course it had to be an ongoing vendetta, and there seemed to be no way to tune it down completely. God knows I tried.

Emmett was still quietly laughing at my infuriated expression and cradled Rosalie closer in his arms. They always seemed so care free. It always appeared like there were a million possibilities for them, and that they could go and do anything they pleased. In a sense of course that wasn't untrue, though they seemed so much more free that myself. Sometimes I felt like there are these chains binding me to the very Earth by the blood of those I considered unworthy in decades past. They dug deep into the Earth and literally dragged me with them into a sea of dirt and shame.

_You're thinking too much. _I noticed the high pitched and soprano voice of Alice echoing in my head. I had to admit that next to Carlisle Alice was the only other person that could insinuate the growing and deluding complexity of my old mind.

She sat next to me in the passenger side seat and gave it her best endeavor to show me a reassuring smile. A silent part of me wanted to respond though all I could manage was a roll of my eyes.

_You're bored. I can tell but you know you shouldn't take it out on the others. I'm sorry for your growing tensions and apparent issues but at least try to make an effort for Esme. She is worried about you, and has been for the past few months. Please Edward?_

Another though now unnoticeable sigh flew through my quenched teeth. Esme was a lovable and sweet person who was much to worthy of an ungrateful "son" like me. I could discern Alice's innuendos but I grew tiresome to pretend a harmonious atmosphere that could for one be easily detected and broken through by Jasper. Not only that, but why should I always do things to please others, and never myself? I wanted happiness, and prosperity for my coven but lately I seemed to travel further and further away from what they were together; a family.

I pulled into the parking lot at Forks High and stopped at our usual parking space. I turned off the oldies radio station that had just begun to play acceptable music after torturous pieces from the seventies.

"Go figure." I whispered underneath my breath and took a hopeful glance over the parking lot. Hope for something new, exciting, and just for once; change. Though everything remained the same, and nothing had changed. Students were rushing from their rusty vehicles to their morning classes, girls were gossiping at the corners about handsome boys, the jocks were punching each other in the arms and retold heroic football stories. Their scents all intermingled with each other, and were sweetened by the drizzling rain that summoned forth a festival of aphrodisiacs. An Eden of endless fragrances and mouthwatering tastes that will forever remain shrouded in mystery to me.

Of one thing I was certain; never again will I destroy a human life. It doesn't matter if it is a life of evil or good.

_Try to relax Edward. You really are becoming a grouch. Alice sees a pretty decent size thunderstorm moving in tonight. Perhaps a good game of ball will help your nerves. It's been a while since we've played. _

Jaspers attempts to illuminate my dark mood were unsuccessful although the idea of a good game of ball did seem pretty interesting. I left the others to go about their classes and made my way into the building dodging the sometimes inappropriate thoughts of lustful and plotting young women. My first class of the day would be World History. It was a subject that I had studied from a variety of aspects including the ancient Egyptians, Minoans, and numerous other ancient cults.

As predicted, the class was a complete and total failure when it came to satiate my hunger for enlightening advancement. The topic was the sixth millennium B.C.E and the rise of the Greek colonies along the coast of Sicily. I had already undergone study on the subject so I decided to focus my view for the remainder on the class on the dark storm clouds outside.

_Edward always looks so serious and mature. Oh if only he'd asked me to the Homecoming dance. _

_I wonder if he's into blondes. Brunettes don't do it for him apparently. I might just dye my hair blond next time maybe I'll catch Edward's attention then._

Oh for the love of everything that's sacred. Will it ever end? My hand reached up to my face and I slowly traced my fingertips down my face in complete and total torment.

By lunch I was already sitting in the back of the cafeteria with my props that were human food. French fries with cheese tossed over them. How very, very… there are now words for this. The others finally made their way over to the table with props of their own, and seemed already excited and focused on the apparent upcoming baseball game that would be held tonight. Alice verified her last vision and saw a rather large system moving in that was like a pedestal for vampire baseball. Emmett seemed overly pleased over the fact that he would get to test his new secret weapons on Jasper. After his last humiliation in the sport I was sure that his new tactics wouldn't be without merit.

"Alice says that we might be getting visitors soon." Rosalie settled herself in the seat next to me and locked eyes with me, annoyed.

"According to her it's not anybody that we know, three of them though, and merely passing through. I thought that you might want to know." Rosalie severely infected my patience. She had always been somewhat vain, and cold hearted, no pun intended. Especially around me. So I wasn't interested in her all those decades ago though I'm sure that my lack of interest didn't pertain to her hollowness, although at least she had a good reason to be.

Alice sat next to me. Her foreshadowing attempts seemed to dwindle with the upcoming future. In her own realm of possibility she tried to reason with her visions and pinpoint wheter or not there would be an encounter with our visitors.

Lunch had come and gone as always. Yet again pretending to do something that I wasn't in reality doing. I couldn't recall the taste of food from my human years, and judging by what was sitting in front of me I wasn't entirely sure that I wished to remember.

The next two hours had to of course pass so slow that it seemed we had reached another Dark Age. Advanced Calculus was bad enough but Spanish? It was like I was sitting in a room with somebody that was trying to teach me the English language. Spanish wasn't difficult to neither decipher nor speak. My eyes as always traveled to the ever building clouds outside this hell like establishment that was High School. I was a one hundred and nine year old man and still had to learn my ABC's. I wasn't able to fathom what could be more pathetic that this. At least the clouds seemed somewhat… clearing.

As soon as the bell uttered it's very first chime I was out of my seat and hastened through the door without even bothering to hear the teacher's last minute assignment. I quickly rushed through the now filling halls, and hoped I could evade as many pondering minds that I could. Luckily I was out of the building and breathing in the clear air of the coming rain before I heard anything to unnerving.

The parking lot was empty and still unpopulated, and there were no minds in the immediate area so it only took one step to cross it and open my car door. I left the door open so I could enjoy more of the soothing air before it would become polluted with the all too delicious scent of human blood. I decided to tune into my favorite radio station that only seemed to play the most classic of music. Like the classics of classics. Once I was lucky to catch Clair de Lune on the air. Right now it was repeating an old song from a 1950's band called "The Spinners".

_It takes a fool to learn that love don't love nobody. _

"You're telling me." I whispered to myself and with that turned the radio off. A song like that was the last thing I needed right now.

Eventually my brothers and sisters finally reached the car. They didn't have the pleasure to travel at regular vampire speed like I had but instead had to gallop in a somewhat human pace and avoid the crowded masses.

As soon as they shut their doors I put the car in drive and sped like Schumacher out of the parking lot and away from what felt like purgatory. The drive home was a little garrulous. Jasper and Emmett began to bet who would hit the most home runs, or who would throw the most strike outs. Rosalie stared amused and bewildered at Emmett's cute, in her mind, facial expressions whenever Jaspers bets went to an all time new high.

My interest was Alice. She was still ineffectively trying to determine the outcome from tonight's small festivities. She saw us all in our regular clearing playing, and having a good time. Even I had a crooked smile on my lips. This future was certain but what would happen after was still confounding her. She saw us leaving early to avoid our visitors or even staying and confronting them head on. As Rosalie had mentioned earlier there were three. Two males of which one was olive skinned and dark haired while the other was light haired and muscular. There was another as well, a female with hair that seemed like it was on fire.

_I see four distinct outcomes, all peaceful thankfully but there is that other one. The fifth possibility is so dark and clouded in mists. Like something is intervening and rearranging my visions so chaotically. _

That was a first. There were certain things that always seemed crystal clear to Alice like the weather, but of course it was only reasonable to assume that other things such as unpredictable actions of humans or vampires would be more difficult to foresee. However, she seemed a little more tense than usual. Perhaps with a little more time she'll see around the "mists" and will be able to cement a more secure future into her thoughts.

We had just pulled into our driveway when Jasper and Emmett both jumped out of the car and headed for the garage for their gear. I didn't understand their hurry though, we still had at least five hours until the storm would hit. Rosalie followed them in a more relaxed manner and Alice hastily made her way to her upstairs bedroom for a wardrobe change while still attempting to see the future.

While looking at my feet I walked forward and reached the front door only to be stopped by Esme. I looked and saw her golden amber like eyes glistening with worry. I returned her gaze and easily pulled my lips up into a hopefully satisfactory smile that would give Esme some relive. She had been worrying a lot about me lately.

"Alice predicts a storm tonight so the others want to play ball. I'm sure you and Carlisle would like to join in on the fun." Esme's eyes immediately lit up with cheerful flames of joy.

_Maybe that's just what he needs. He always seems so much more active and alive every time we play. _

I chuckled at Esme's optimistic thoughts. I leaned forward and gave her a small kiss on the cheek before continuing my original path to my room.

"I think I'll go read a bit before we go. We still have five hours."

"Okay." Esme replied surprised. "But make sure you're good and ready when its time. You'll want to outrun the others like you always do Edward." There were small hints of laughter in her voice. I turned around and gave her a reassuring smile.

"Will do." With that I headed for the stairs and to my room. I hoped to get some alone time even though it seemed I got more and more of that when I saw Carlisle standing in my room and looking out the window that held a view of the majestic Forks forest.

As soon as I entered Carlisle turned around to face me with a loving and caring smile that he has had for all the years that I have known the man.

"Edward. How was your day?" His eyes seemed hopeful for a positive response though I don't think I would give it an effort to lie to Carlisle.

"I don't think I have the strength to lie to you right now Carlisle." I admitted the obvious answer.

Carlisle nodded smiling and picked the conversation back up.

"I heard about the foretold baseball game tonight. I'm sure it will be pleasing and comforting for all of us." Carlisle always wanted only the best for our family.

"Alice sees some company coming our way as well."

Carlisle's eyes immediately shot back up to meet mine. I guess Alice didn't get the opportunity to mention that to him. He immediately went into his protective father like mode.

"Alice says that there won't be any trouble. Just some nomads passing through." I tried to comfort him but didn't feel it necessary to mention Alice's yet to be unidentified unclearness. Carlisle seemed to be nodding more to himself than to me. Even though Alice's predictions turn out peaceful he thought that we should still be on alert. It was always a good idea to be careful especially around our kind.

I passed Carlisle and went to sit on my black leather couch. There was a reason Carlisle was up here in my room. He looked at me patiently and unsure at first. He knew that I knew what he wanted to discuss. My apparent lack of happiness and increased measurement of boredom seemed to concern him. Then again it had always concerned him. He joined me on the couch and seemed a bit hesitant at first but eventually took the courage to proceed.

"It might sound horrible Edward but sometimes I wonder if I made the right decision by giving you this life. Maybe you were too young or simply not right for this lifestyle. I just… I…" I didn't experience Carlisle often in such a state of unrest.

"You had the best intentions in mind Carlisle." I knew my words though honest wouldn't extinguish the fires of doubt burning lively in his thoughts. Carlisle responded with a wary look on his face.

"Some of the best intentions in the world had catastrophic consequences Edward. You are anything but however I still can't help but wonder at times. Of course all of us had a hard time dealing with immortality and still do but at least the others…" Carlisle veered off course and didn't finish his sentence though I knew what he was about to say even without this dreadful talent of mine.

_At least the others have somebody very close to them._

"You worry too much about me Carlisle. Though I have to admit that I do get somewhat tedious of my own actions and behavior at times please understand that if you hadn't done what you did than I wouldn't even be here right now. I'm sure though that although you don't like to confess to it yourself that you think all vampires would be better off dead than rather being what they are." Carlisle smiled sadly.

"Sometimes you seem more to read the soul of a person rather than just their thoughts my son." My small smile faltered at Carlisle's statement.

A soul… I wasn't even sure that mine was still intact.

"Well I best leave you to your thoughts. I know you want your silence here lately but do me a favor and have some fun tonight Edward. It would be quite blissful to me and Esme to see you invoke some of that peace that I know is buried within you." Carlisle smiled at me and got up and proceeded to walk out the door to leave me be.

"Really Carlisle, don't worry about me. Besides, to finish your previous statement; I don't need anybody but my family to keep me happy."

Carlisle smiled somewhat astonished and delighted but not convinced and closed the door behind him with a more satisfied mind than he would have admitted to.

I got up of the couch and took a look out the window to see the green and alien like forest of Forks covered in silver satin like layers of mist. From my window I could see the large balcony attached to the back of our house and observed Alice also staring at the forest. Her mind was overflowing with worry and other unknown emotions that she herself couldn't put her finger on quite yet.

_Something is coming…_

Alice's immediate vision fell to the sky. It was radiating with a foreign aura of almost unnatural tension and intimidation. The sky itself to Alice seemed nervous.

_Something is coming, and I don't think it's our visitors…_

(Authors Note) – Well it seems like I have been gone for centuries. I would like to apologize for the gigantic delay of "Forever Immortal" but please believe that there were some real reasons behind it. Somewhat personal, and then also me going out of the country for awhile and visiting my family in Europe. I also have no idea where I was going with it. I can't find my notes either ;-)! So for now it will be just sitting there until I can figure out what to do with it. Again, sorry but I hope Crimson Horizons will be more satisfying.


	3. Chapter 2

Visitors

I continued my stare out the window at Alice. Her brooding had me starting to worry to a certain degree as well. I have never seen her in such a state of disturbance. She kept repeating to herself "_something is coming." _She wasn't referring to our expected visitors that she herself foresaw but rather something different, elsewhere. In time I certainly believed that she would see what she needed. She always did.

I left Alice to her turbulent thoughts and fervently hoped that for her sake she would soon be able to organize her visions and bring clarity to her mind.

I now had to figure out what to do for the next five hours. I had told Esme I would be reading and decided I would do just that. I crossed the small space that was my room and looked at the various new books across from my CD shelf intently. I had purchased them only recently from Barnes and Noble and was actually quite ecstatic to read them.

My order of books was a mixture of novels, certain biographies, and I decided to expand my history section so I had a variety of different books concerning themselves with the ancient world. I grabbed one of the books titled "Ancient and Mythological Cities" and retook my seat on the couch and started to read.

The book itself was quite mesmerizing really. It discussed various millennia old cities such as Rome, Trier, Xian, Athens, and others. It referenced a great deal of their societies, their customs, and their constructive achievements. In the back of the book was a reserved section where the author deemed worthy to mention ancient cities that had yet to be proven authentic. Many pages dealt with the obvious legends of Atlantis which didn't surprise me. It's been an enigma for centuries and humans were still searching for it today.

The book also mentioned other minor "whispers" of cities that might have been real once such as Mu, or Lemuria. At the end of the page discussing the supposed locations for Lemuria a tiny paragraph for some reason caught my attention.

_Elysium, in Greek mythology it was part of the Underworld and served as the final resting place for heroic and virtuous souls. _

It was puzzling why the insignificant passage caught my eye. Perhaps it was the name that held me in a still stance for a mere second. It was rather luminescent.

So it was a resting place for heroic and virtuous souls. Well then I was sure that something like me would never see its white shores. I had always doubted Carlisle's belief that vampires had souls. There were so many atrocities I had committed in the past that would ensure me a place next to the Devil when or if ever my immortal existence came to an end. Carlisle had hope for a life ever after and he was the only vampire I knew that would actually stand a chance at the gates of Saint Peter. Though my beliefs deteriorate when I think of what we truly are and that we most certainly don't belong with the angels.

I let out a defeated sigh and closed the book and placed it gently on the small nightstand next to my couch. I put up my feet and lay back and covered my eyes with my arms. I was worried.

Besides my own selfish assessments I realized that these foul moods and my egocentric actions weren't having a positive effect on my family. As I had previously hypothesized I seemed to travel further and further away from them. I didn't like that I made Esme worry so much or cause Carlisle to doubt himself. They weren't deserving of such self lowering emotions. I tried to comfort myself in thinking that they still had four other "children" but I knew that Carlisle and Esme wouldn't think of their family as a family unless I was standing right next to them.

I revised Carlisle's earlier thoughts that I could have a possibly better existence if I had somebody that would help me through it. Someone that wasn't a sister to me but something rather different, and something I would care for on an entirely contrasting level. I didn't have a plethora of imaginative scenarios of which I could picture myself with another; not in that way.

I had seen a wide variety of women over the last ninety years of which some were dashing and beautiful but still eluded me to why I wasn't interested. Was I choosey? I had to think of Tanya's family that lived in Denali. Tanya and her sisters Kate and Irina were truly admiring and charming women but once more I found myself not fancying even one of them. Not to mention that Tanya made it rather difficult with her continuous sexual advances and attempts to finally seduce me into her grasp. I lost count on how many times I had to be as benevolent and gentlemanly as I could and inform her that I would most likely never see her in such a manner. She was too good for me.

What would I want in a life companion? Do I even have a special taste or preference? I knew that strawberry blondes didn't do it for me apparently. I chuckled when I rethought that girls thought from earlier today of how she plotted to change her hair color just so I'd take a second look.

I tried to imagine myself standing next to my family with my arms around an unknown entity. I saw Emmett lovingly grasping Rosalie in his huge arms or Jasper looking delighted and pleased to see Alice dancing out in front of him like she always did. I pictured Carlisle kissing Esme's cheek as she leaned into him and buried her face in his chest. Then I thought about me. I was possibly smiling and seemed to have a new ray of hope in my eyes. I saw my arms wrapped around a shadowy figure with no face or any other sort of features. The person I held in my arms was a complete mystery while I remained blind, and couldn't even comprehend what she could be.

My imagination had truly gone berserk these days even the…

"Edward?" There was a light knock on the door that thankfully interrupted my thought patterns before they could sink me deeper until I would finally collide with the sad truth of my solitary existence.

Esme's gentle voice brought me back to reality. I sat up and took a glance at the clock. Wow. While I read and my imaginations formed a new scale of insanity four and a half hours had passed. I raised my brows to this new scenario. I should do this more often. Anything to murder time I though pleased.

"Come in Esme." I finally managed to choke. Esme entered the room carefully and scanned it until she found me sitting on the couch. Her face immediately lit up at my more joyous facial expression. Though I'm sure she had mistaken it with a better mood rather than I discovering a way to lynch time.

"We're about ready to go. Are you prepared too?" Esme smiled hopefully at me. I had never met another person that was even remotely close to what Esme was. A person that could love and care unconditionally even for those she didn't know.

"Yes Esme. I just need a second to change and then I'll be ready to ship out." I smiled at her. It was a true smile. I was relieved to know that I had such a loving and adoring mother that I was surely going to cherish forever.

"Okay Edward. We will be waiting downstairs for you. But please hurry. Emmett's already growing a bit impatient so…"

"EDWARD!! I DON'T CARE WHAT THE HELL YOU'RE DOING BUT GET DOWN HERE ALREADY OR I'M COMING UP THERE!!" Esme giggled at Emmett's apparent lack of patience. I myself was glad to know that for once I was getting on his nerves.

"I'll be right down Esme. So tell the big lump I'll just take a second and…"

"I'M COUNTING TO TEN!" Emmett roars intensified. Esme shook her head embarrassed.

"DO YOU HEAR ME COUNTING? ONE. TWO. THREE." Esme covered her face in shame at what she had raised and gave me a last smile before leaving the room.

_You have seven seconds to change before he tears my house apart Edward. _

I ignored Emmett's threats and proceeded to my closet in lightning speed and ditched my dark blue shirt and took out my white baseball jersey and tossed it on.

"FOUR. FIVE. SIX. DOES HE HEAR ME COUNTING UP THERE?"

"Calm down Emmett he's almost ready." I heard Esme's soothing voice from below but it didn't justify Emmett's agitation.

I buttoned up the last bit of my jersey and was already out the door by the time Emmett got to eight. I was down the stairs in no time, literally, and took joy in Emmett's infuriated face. He didn't say anything but rather expressed his feelings with a huffing like sound through his nostrils and flew out the door.

_Stop making everything about you. It's getting old!_

Rosalie's provoked thoughts would under regular circumstance deserve their justice if they weren't sad mirrors of repetition that I have been hearing for years.

"You are going down today Jazz." Jasper gave Emmett a glorious smile that oozed with overconfidence. Tonights game should be interesting. I wondered if Alice had seen any more of our visitors.

She stood next to Jazz and was much calmer that she was earlier. More or likely due to Jaspers empathic abilities but also because she saw Emmett cursing to high heavens because of his futuristic losses. So it was already determined that Emmett's previous words should have been directed rather to himself than Jasper.

We headed out the door along with Carlisle and Esme and leaped to the ground and started our short run to the baseball clearing. Carlisle was nothing more than prepared and ready for an encounter if there should be one. Though I believed that if we went and started to play they would undoubtedly hear us. Carlisle thought that it would be better this way. If we didn't go and wait for them they would eventually detect our scent and allow their curiosity to take a hold of them. He knew that it would be better to confront them now and make it clear that the territory was already claimed, and perhaps convince them not to hunt the unsuspecting humans of Forks.

It wasn't a long run at all. For a human hiking it might have taken a few hours to get to the clearing but for us it was only a ten minute run. When we got there I saw that the sky was as ready as we were. It was dark and the clouds seemed indeed dangerous. There were already rolling and cracking sounds of thunder. The lightning bolts wouldn't be far away and would join us soon enough.

_It's chillier than it usually is. It's so dark. _

Alice's gloomy mood returned as soon as Jasper distanced himself to decide teams with Emmett. Carlisle took notice of Alice's uneasiness as well.

"Will we meet them here Alice?" She nodded vigorously.

"Definitely. The future just became clear. We will meet them." She was sure this time. We arriving in the clearing changed the future to certainty.

"So let them come. There are only three of them and seven of us. If it should turn to a fight I don't think they'll hold up long." Emmett's persistent over confidence became rather taxing at times.

"It won't come to a fight. At least I don't think between us and them."

"What does that mean?" I asked her confused. Who else is there to fight them if not us? Alice predictions were for a peaceful outcome and she was sure of it earlier. What changed now?

"I don't know. It's getting to me as well. I see everything clearly but then I get something similar to static. Like I was given a huge dose of unpredictability. We'll just have to wait and see. In the end it's all we can ever do." With that she danced of into the distance to make the final adjustments to Emmett and Jaspers arguing over who is with who.

I took a look at Carlisle who seemed somewhat concerned with Alice's inability to see the outcome of events. We relied on Alice far too often in the past and now we were worried because for once we were blind.

"Alright! We determined the teams. Jasper, Edward, and Carlisle are one team. Esme, Emmett, and I are the other. Rosalie will be the referee for the first round." As soon as Alice finished her sentence there was a loud crack of lighting that illuminated the entire night sky. Alice laughed and looked tauntingly at the sky.

"Play ball!" With that we made our way to our positions. Emmett's team would be the first to get a chance to score points. I went to the very outfield while Jasper decided to pitch. I felt excited and hungry for the game to begin. This was just what I needed to get my mind out of the dark abyss that I felt like I was falling in.

Emmett was the first one up. His eyes sparkled with determination and willingness to defeat Jasper. He in turn, Jasper that is seemed at ease and concentrated on his first throw, and ready to give Emmett yet another humiliating memory. He bent his knees and released his first throw.

Emmett's eyes narrowed and saw through Jaspers attempted curve ball. There was a glass shattering explosion as Emmett's bat collided with Jaspers throw and sent it off with lightning speed into my direction. Emmett began to run for first base as I dashed through the wet and rainy grass after his hit. I saw the ball and sped up even more and caught up with it easily. The ball created a small crater in the soft soil and was immediately on a return journey home as soon as I got a hold of it. I saw specks of water throwing themselves left to right making way for the incoming ball.

Emmett had just passed third base when the ball caught up with him. He took notice and bolted for home base. He threw his body to the ground feet first and almost crashed into Rosalie who had already caught the ball.

"Out!" Rosalie's holler sent Emmett into a minor frenzy.

"OH COME ON! THAT WAS SO IN!" His attempt to ensure his point ended in utter failure.

"We all saw it babe. I got the ball before you hit the base. Sorry!" Rosalie's lips turned into an awe inspiring smile and would have blinded any mortal men with her pearly and razor sharp teeth.

"DAMN." I stood in the outfield laughing. This was exactly what Alice had seen. This was the most fun I always had when we played ball. The thrill of it all and Emmett's comical remarks but I enjoyed it the most when his outbursts were real and belligerent.

Esme and Carlisle joined in on the laugh. Jasper still stood in the middle field bathing in Emmett's agony over his loss.

"ENOUGH!" Alice's stressed scream interrupted our small bit of cheerfulness. She stood with her back to us and faced the immediate forest. Already? I thought we'd have some more time, and just when I started to enjoy myself the winds had to change directions and not in my favor. I looked up to the sky.

"You aren't funny you know." Whoever was up there hopefully heard my agitated assessment.

"So soon Alice?" Carlisle the others and myself now surrounded Alice looking for answers.

"They caught our scent sooner than I expected, and then they heard us. Well Emmett that is."

"Good going Em!" Jasper mocked him. Emmett rolled his eyes and waved Jasper off.

"Enough already. They'll be here in a couple of minutes. Get ready for a confrontation that still looks peaceful to me. I haven't been able to unlock the other visions though. They're… I don't know. Unpredictable."

Carlisle moved forward and crossed his hands in front of him and was already prepared. It wasn't the first time we had done this; especially Carlisle. Esme and Alice swiftly joined him on either side. Emmett and Rosalie leaped to stand next to Esme while Jasper stood next to Alice and me next to him.

We all seemed a bit tense towards Alice's lack of sight. Jasper was more worried about Alice herself. She was more disturbed than usual when she at first couldn't locate the clarity of her psychic eye. Surprisingly though it wasn't the three visitors that had her upset. Something she couldn't put her finger on. Then I heard them.

We stood south of the clearing glaring down the forest when three dark figures seemingly appeared out of nowhere. Nomads!

The one in the middle was the prophesized olive skined vampire. He wore a black jacket with no under shirt, exposing his chest to the cool night air and had dark brown pants. The woman on his left wore dark red leather pants and a white under shirt covered by a long green jacket. Her flaming red hair seemed to illuminate the dark night. The man on the right wore plain blue jeans and a dark leather jacket.

All three of them approached us with gleaming and arrogant smiles. The winds intensified and blew their hairs around their marble statues of bodies and created a very tense atmosphere. The sky continued to shoot lighting and roared with thunderous sounds. The one in the middle smiled at us friendlier now.

"Hello." My eyes traveled to Carlisle who returned his gesture with a careful and alert smile.

"Hello. I'm Carlisle and this is my family." Carlisle's hands gestured to either side of him introducing us. All three foreign vampires stared us down for only a fraction of a second before pulling their lips up amused.

"Family?" The olive skinned vampire pointed out. Their thoughts were typical for nomads. Curiosity got to them and they had do see who was in the area before moving on. The light blond headed vampire seemed somewhat bored.

"Yes, family. We sustain a permanent residence in this area and therefore claim this territory." Carlisle got right to the point and quite literally laid down the law. The vampire's eyes got wider when Carlisle mentioned that we were permanent residence. The speaker for the small coven laughed intrigued by this revelation.

"Permanent? You mean you coexist with humans?"

"Yes we do. It's our way of life, and has been for decades." I sensed that Carlisle wanted to get this over with. The black haired vampire nodded to himself.

"Where are my manners? I have yet to introduce us. I' am Laurent. This is James, and Victoria." The more Laurent spoke the more I detected hints of a long lost French accent. Victoria was the woman obviously, and looked rather mocking. James on the other hand seemed more amused than anything.

"Mind if we take a human or two?" James spoke for the first time with a deep and scratchy voice while his bright red eyes focused on Carlisle. The audacity was unbelievable, as if we didn't just mention the fact that the territory had been claimed.

"I would beg of you rather not to do so. It could put us at jeopardy, and threaten our anonymity." Carlisle remained calm. The sky on the other hand was the exact opposite. Every time one of us finished a sentence a lightning bolt would strike and would cause the night to be like day.

"One insignificant human could do that?" The woman called Victoria finally unleashed her mockery on us.

"That truly is not the point of this discussion. These hunting grounds have been claimed and I ask you to respect our privacy and lands." Carlisle's negotiation didn't seem to take effect. The more he attempted to avert them from hunting the more this James and Victoria wanted to. How could they even think in such a manner? They were greatly outnumbered.

"We might just, and might just not." James picked up where Victoria's mocking left off in a low and menacing whisper. Suddenly I noticed Alice's thoughts and anxiety. Her vision was clear just a second ago but now it was fluctuating. She blinked her eyes repeatedly and her visions phased out and back in. She wasn't over exaggerating when she mentioned something like static.

I had all but forgotten the three vampires standing in front of us and focused my attention solely on Alice. Her visions were chaotic and only came in fragments. But then Alice squeezed her eyes shut and mentally yelled.

_STOP!!_

As if for once she could truly command her visions all the chaos and strange vibrations stopped and there was finally a clear picture. A large tree with a far stretched out branch and a dark figure sitting in the shadows; observing.

_Its' here!_

(Authors Note) That's it for this time folks. **Please Review**. I'm interested in everybody's opinion. Hopefully I will be getting the next chapter up soon!!


	4. Chapter 3

Stranger

_It's here!! It's here!! The thing that disrupted my visions!!_

Alice's mental screams became louder and louder. Whatever it was that stirred an uproar and malfunction in her visions was now close by. I completely disregarded the truth of three nomadic vampires taking a stand in front of me and the others, and was now intent on finding the location of Alice's prediction. I didn't have to search long.

"What is going on?" I heard the olive skinned vampire Laurent question.

I skimmed down the long lines of trees to the left of us and saw nothing. Trees and more trees covered in green vegetation with almost no trace of the brown bark that they grew on. It almost looked like a jungle. My eyes came to a screeching halt. I found the tree in Alice's vision.

"What's going on you two?" I ignored Carlisle's inquiry and continued to scan the tree. I allowed my eyes to travel over every single inch of it. It was the largest plant in the clearing which was also here over seventy years ago when we first arrived in Forks. It was at least fifty to sixty feet in height and possessed a gigantic leaf covered crown. Its roots must dig deep into the ground and more or likely was already here long before I or even Jasper were born. I narrowed my eyes as they migrated and examined the great leviathan and finally stopped at a large branch extending out like an arm waving at us.

There between where the tree was and the branch began sat a being that appeared to be observing us. I saw one of its feet neatly tugged behind the other and its arms crossed over its chest. Through the deep shadows that covered its nebulous face I saw two dark, and radiating crimson eyes. Vampire!

For the first time in what must have been minutes I fixed my attention back to our visitors.

"Did someone else come here with you?" I spat my question at them appalled and mad for what looked like an ambush. But in the second it took me to ask them I noticed that also their attentions were now concentrated on the obvious fourth new comer in the clearing.

_Who is that?_

_Another member of their coven perhaps?_

_That female does not belong with us._

Female? I shifted my attention back to the new vampire in the clearing that still sat trouble free and calmly on top of the branch. By now everybody's curiosity had followed me and Alice's tense glare at the additional vampire in the clearing.

The winds were growing wild and damn near untamable now. The clouds were thundering with wild roars of anxiety and formed an indescribable mood. There were electric currents of voltage like tension growing in the air. While the clouds were throwing bolts of monstrous lightning they illuminated the grayish color of the clearing and aided my already perfect and advanced sight to reveal the features of the unknown vampire that was definitely a female like Laurent had thought previously. She was dressed all in black though I couldn't make out if she wore pants or a dress. She clothed in a long coat which also unveiled some sort of purple like undergarment. Finally I reached her facial features. Her face was the shape of a heart with smooth and dark red lips. I noticed that her upper lip was only slightly bigger than the lower but it somehow fitted the rest of her aspects perfectly. Her nose was thin and she had prominent cheekbones, and dark ruby like eyes. Her straight hair was a somewhat slightly darker shade than hazelnut brown, almost a shiny dark caramel like Esme's was. It lay over the left side of her forehead and then curved to encircle her face. The layers of hair in the front were shorter than those in the back that reached over her shoulders. She looked modern, and she smiled pleasantly.

I continued to stare at her as the rest of my family did including the other three nomads. She continued to glance at us with perfect ease and what appeared to be amusement. How long were we going to stand here and look at her like this? Suddenly her eyes blinked repeatedly. The last blink opened her eyes widely and she turned around to look over her shoulder. Her vision fell back on us almost immediately and browsed between the small group of nomads and the considerably larger group that was me and the others. Twice she continued to glimpse between our ranks and hinted emotions of surprise in her eyes. She took one final peek over her shoulder before uncrossing her arms and pointing her index finger to her chest.

"Oh? Me?" Her stirred voice had a charming tune, like chiming bells or the tender pitch of high played violin. What a naïve question. Who else would there be. She stretched out her hands and held them up in defense and shook them from side to side.

"Oh please, pay me no mind." As soon as the words rolled over her tongue her lips stretched into a loving smile exposing her white teeth. Her hands evaporated back into her chest as she crossed her arms again.

Carlisle and Laurent exchanged stares mixed of confusion and alarm. I took a quick look at Alice who had one of her eyebrows raised over the other.

_She's the one that has been distorting my visions? She's just another vampire. A peculiar and weird one at that. _

_No fear whatsoever. She's confronted with ten unfamiliar vampires yet not even an ounce of vigilance. Unless the nomads lied and they do know her. She's completely cool. _

Jaspers thoughts were intriguing. Not even an ounce of fear? His thoughts… Thoughts? I returned my eyes to the female in the tree and noticed for the first time why she had gone undetected before. I heard nothing. Her mind divulged no sorts of words whatsoever. Not even a whisper or even pieces of pictures taken through the windows of her eyes. I heard everybody else just fine. The nomads were no exception to that rule. The mental voices of every single vampire in this clearing were absolute by the exception of hers. I narrowed my eyes even further and gave it my best effort to shut everybody else out while I tried to penetrate the mute mind of the mahogany haired vampire.

My efforts seemed to go in vain. It was almost annoying. The one time I really wished to hear the mind of someone and by some otherworldly force I'm unable to hear them. Her wide smile relaxed into a regular and curious one. She blinked her eyes once more and the next thing I knew they rested on me. My eyes immediately snapped open in shock.

"You're unsuccessful attempts will not go rewarded sweetling." I swallowed as the rest of the vampire's eyes fell on me as well. A small laugh erupted from the female's throat as she slid of the branch only to dangle in the air while still holding onto it. How did she know what I was doing?

"Might as well join the festivities." In a quick notion she swung her body backwards but then only to release and catapult herself forward into the air. She glided high towards the dark horizon with her feet first and demonstrated a backwards somersault and fell gracefully to the ground without even making one single sound. My jaw dropped awe struck as did the others as she picked up her feet in an unseen speed and began to levitate onward as if she had been walking the entire time.

She reached the divided line of our two groups in no time and held her delighted smile, and curious shining stars in her eyes. Her features were even more prominent up close than from afar. She was about a size two and had a much, much paler skin than any of us. Her eyes were a deep red, and not as bright and glittering as the other three obvious "carnivores". The depth and dark hue of her eyes would hint that she was thirsty although there were no traces of purple bruises beneath them.

Suddenly her vision was fixed on me once more. She approached me with her grand smile and glanced yet again over her shoulder as if to check if one of the others were listening. Her hand reached out and reconnected my lower jaw with my upper. She patted my shoulder lightly and whispered.

"We mustn't be rude." Her wide smile reappeared as she danced away from me. My body had gone into a stiff and still state when her hand had reached out to close my mouth. I never had an unknown vampire in such close proximity to me before. What immobilized me even more was her scent however. It was sweet, sweeter than any other vampires that I had ever encountered. A mixture of lavender, freesias, jasmine, and there was also a distinct smell of glistering fire. Strange yet soothing in its own rights, and she began to speak once more.

"I must apologize for my secretive behavior although a showdown such as this is something you observe from a distance." The sentence sounded more like a song rather than a solid foundation of speech.

Carlisle took a slow and deliberate step forward to undoubtedly greet the newcomer. His eyes were alert and kind as he approached her. He swallowed softly before opening his mouth although no words came out. She had completely ignored Carlisle and flew by him to stand in front of Rosalie. Her movements were more that of someone who had the capability to float rather than walk. Her poise was incredible. I was also finally able to get a good look at her wardrobe. Surprisingly she wore shoes. Not many nomads including our guests did. It showed that she was a more civilized vampire. But not just shoes, some form of low heels that were only about three or four inches long in the back. She was wearing black flowing pants and not a dress, and clothed in a purple undergarment that I had detected before. It seemed to stick tight to her body at first but horizontally layered just below her beltline and seemed to grow a bit longer in the back. It looked like a flower pedal. It was covered with a black coat that reached all the way down to her knees and had silver buttons running down along the inner sides.

Rosalie met her with a glaring and unfriendly stare. Emmett shifted his position to stand closer to her in an overly protective manner. However, this didn't seem to concern the strange vampire. Her lips slightly pursed as her eyes somewhat marveled at Rosalie's complexion and analyzed her features. Her hands reached up to rest on either side of her hips as she spoke.

"You have a striking resemblance to Guinevere." She smiled at Rosalie and moved back past Carlisle who still stood in his prior greeting pose. Guinevere? Rosalie blinked confused. It wasn't the presentation that she expected.

"Oh my." She exclaimed as she stopped in front of Jasper. She examined him thoroughly before continuing.

"Associate with young ones much?" Her tone was almost mocking. Jasper cocked his head to the side. He was getting irate at the somewhat disrespectful aura that she brought with her. He reconstructed his lips in a hard line.

"I trained them once." His expression was a little callous.

"Ah. Must not have been performing a good enough job hence all the bite marks."

"Tsk. Excuse me?" Jasper nearly spit the words at her. Once again she didn't seem worried. There was a small laugh lining the edges of her voice. She turned around to view the others for a moment before leaning into Jasper. The side of her arm touched his chest which froze him, and building blocks of a snarl were forming in the back of his throat. She hid her mouth with the side of her hand as if to whisper to Jasper.

"Tell me. Are they everywhere on your body?" Her eyes were narrowed as she asked him. After she inquired I noticed her maroon marbles dropping down below Jasper's waistline, and she giggled. Jasper jumped back appalled.

"HAVE YOU NO SHAME OR SENSE OF DIGNITY?" The rest of my family and I took a small step back as well while Alice huffed disgusted. The nameless vampire tapped her index finger on her chin and seemed to be thinking over Jaspers demand?

"Hmm… Shame? No. Dignity? Comes and goes from time to time, much like religions do." She smiled and nodded her head. With that Carlisle took the floor. He wanted to get control of the situation before her sarcastic comments would cause strife.

"I beg of you. Do not approach my children in such an arrogant manner again. You must be new to this life and seem unaware of the proper chain of introductions when it comes to our kind or perhaps you do. Interactions in such close contact can result in violent actions that are often caused from our emotional driven thoughts when dealing with foreign vampires. I would be more than happy to greet you properly and then with an open minded state of compassion if you would only allow me." Carlisle reattached his friendly smile of welcome towards her.

During Carlisle's small and friendly warning she continued to smile tauntingly at Jasper. Her eyes blinked and she turned her head hesitantly to the left where Carlisle stood.

"Oh." She sounded surprised and raised her pair of delicate eyebrows. Carlisle smiled warm heartedly at her.

"Sorry. Wasn't listening. Did you say something?" Carlisle's smile faded as quickly as it came. Surprisingly she sounded serious as if she really didn't hear a thing he just said. This was beginning to try even my patience. Disrespect towards my siblings I could handle but not my father.

She turned away from us and faced the nomads. I examined her up and down. Her coat was constructed with an upside down V like hole at the bottom. It looked like the sort of fashion you once saw in the 1700's.

She leaned forward towards Laurent who in turn snarled defensively as a warning. I heard her take a deep breath through her nose and heard her exhale via her mouth.

"Creole." She breathed satisfied. Laurent blinked astonished.

_How does she know of my origin?_ _How could she possibly tell?_

She opened her eyes again to reveal those dark rubies covered with a series of thin caramel lashes. She focused her attention next on James and Victoria who seemed somewhat bemused by her negatively directed humor at my family and me. She positioned her hand on her hips again and shook her head as she took in the presence of the pair.

"Would it murder to wear appropriate footwear? Must you gallop about the landscapes like uncivilized rodents? You do the vampire world no honor in such a way." James and Victoria's smile died away as they pulled their lips over their teeth.

Both of them combusted with ferocious growls and Carlisle motioned us to back up. He put up his arms defensively and pushed us back as the insulted pair crouched. Laurent took a step back still dazzled by the knowledge that she possessed and had no intentions of partaking in the apparent coming battle.

_What is wrong with her? Two vampires crouched down in front of her and still no emotional response._

Jasper was still a bit sour over her earlier joke about his endowments. Alice wasn't excited about it either but her vision was a vision of the future at the moment. Though for some reason she once more had difficulty seeing _her _again. There were missing fragments in her sight, fissures almost.

"It was a mere observation. No need to get testy. Besides, I'm not your opponent." In that moment, her light hearted demeanor shifted around a complete axis. Through James' eyes I saw her smile fading into a hard line with only the right side of her lip slightly raised. It was a crooked grin that somehow shouted viciously. Her eyelids lowered into a malevolent and piercing gaze. James and Victoria growls were silenced. Though they remained in their attack positions their grimaces changed into glowering glares rather than their teeth exposed snarls.

"Allow me to assist you." She whispered to them in a low and dangerous voice. Her body shifted 180 degrees and faced us. Her pierced focus of attention now lay heavily upon Carlisle. She lifted her chin to speak.

"Permanent?" She asked him with an unemotional voice. She must have overheard most of the conversation before we discovered her presence. Carlisle took a single cautious step forward that was shadowed by Emmett and Jasper who were only inches behind him. Carlisle cleared his throat.

"Yes. We live in the vicinity of the small township and…" She shook her head slowly which halted Carlisle's attempted conversation with her.

"When dealing with others of your kind you must partake in their politics and rules. Your way of life is almost unheard of in our world. It is an invalid reason to deny them the hunt."

"I don't know if I can see it in such a way." Carlisle argued his point but she seemed pretty sure of herself.

"You live as mortals do. You act like them; you talk like them, and apparently live as they do. This existence seems to have tainted your mind. Do not forget that the laws of men mean nothing to us. You cannot expect others of our kind to respect your beliefs if they are ignorant to them." Her piercing eyes molted into diamond hard rock's as she viewed Carlisle. He in turn said nothing. Though I would never admit it out lowed, in her way she was right.

James and Victoria were halfway out of their crouches and smiled victoriously at us. Laurent stood behind them and mimicked their features. Suddenly she pointed her index finder up in the air and shook it whilst turning around to face the nomads again.

"However, as little time as vampires spent in various locations of the world these can still declare a short lived lordship over those lands, and claim the blood hence them being the first ones to arrive." The nomad's smiles dissolved away, and they grew more and more impatient with her deliberations.

_On who's side is she on; theirs or ours? _Emmett's mental distress was on everybody's mind.

"Besides, if you proceed to hunt on these claimed lands and expose evidence for mortals to use as leverage to uncover the truth of their and our existence then you are putting all of us at jeopardy."

James and Victoria's impatience fainted as she gave them a mind altering revelation. She was winning this confrontation for us. This wasn't what Alice had foreseen at all. James sneered at her.

"Where do you suggest we go then?"

She turned and looked over her shoulder at Carlisle.

"Where do your assertions lie?"

"The forests of Forks and the entire Olympic Peninsula consist of our hunting grounds." Carlisle said so stiffly. She nodded approvingly.

"Try Seattle or even go as far north as Canada. This confrontation is over ladies and gentlemen." She concluded with a final and somewhat threatening tone.

"Says who?" Victoria was disturbed by the apparent arrogance of the dominant speaker.

She didn't say anything. The sides of her cheeks pulled into an ostentatious smile, and she seemed amused. James sighed bored.

"I have had enough of this nonsense. Victoria, Laurent lets go. I'm sure we will meet once more. What was your name again?" I was glad someone finally asked. I was getting tired of the constant "she", and "her" referrals. I wanted to know her name too as did Carlisle.

Not a word though. She kept her pose up well and didn't even breathe. I guess when she said the conversation was over she meant it literally. Her behavior had all but depleted James patience, and with a final humph like noise he turned around to walk away. He wrapped his arm around Victoria and shifted her to pull her with him. She gave one final glare to the other female before turning away and walking off into the distance with James. Laurent seemed somewhat hesitant at first and was still focused on the fact that she knew where he came from, and his lineage. Slowly he turned with one last glimpse before disappearing into the same direction from where he and the other two had originated from.

The atmosphere and turbulence in the clearing calmed down considerably. I didn't think the storm was over but perhaps just taking a break for a few minutes before it would explode with more thunderous cries. None of us said a word as she continued to stay in front of us with her back turned. Rosalie was eventually the one that spoke up.

"What just happened?" She looked to Carlisle for the answer but he didn't pay any attention to her. There was still a threat to us here, and it stood right in front of us. The threat was the one that eventually answered Rosalie's question when no one else spoke up.

"I just preserved your lives." Emmett snorted at her manifesto.

"From what? We could have taken them easily. We outnumbered them. Besides, we didn't ask for your help. Carlisle here could have handled everything just fine." I agreed. Her assistance in this past matter was unnecessary. She turned slowly around as small melodic laughs escaped through her teeth. She shook her head vigorously.

"I was not referring to those imbeciles." Lightening struck then and hit something wooden by the sounds of it somewhere off in the far distance. The winds returned and had carried the sounds of its cracking destruction all the way to the clearing.

Then with her index and middle finger pressed together she waved at us and began to walk off towards the path she had come from; just like the nomads did. She suddenly stopped again and sighed with reasons unknown to me. She looked over her shoulder which seemed to be a habit.

"For the time being, keep away from the mountain range."

"Why?" Carlisle asked politely.

Her expression remained blank. She turned back around and all there was left were reminisce of a flash. I didn't even see her run. She was fast.

Strange... but beautiful.

(Authors Note) - If you have gotten this far then let me thank you for reading. Please voice your opinion and **review**. It would be great. Hope you liked it. Though I didn't get enough time to spell check so if there are any errors (surely) please forgive me.


	5. Chapter 4

Index

The climate had calmed itself considerably for now but I felt like that it would stay over the mountains, and Forks for a while longer. The gloomy and grayish atmosphere had grown darker since the night was upon us.

For minutes we stood side by side glancing into the direction the nameless vampire had disappeared to. It was a strange encounter. It was strange due to the fact that vampires usually didn't meddle into the affairs of others. Everyone minded their own business and remained silent and distant from these sorts of showdowns when two covens collided over territorial disputes; everyone except her that was, and the Volturi.

_For the time being, keep away from the mountain range._

That strange and deluded thought hung over everyone's thoughts. Why was there need to stay away from them? Why would she even warn us? There was nothing that could match the deadly strength and speed of a vampire except for another vampire. Unless it was a warning regarding to her, and that she made the mountains her temporary hunting grounds. That thought didn't satisfy my curiosity however.

_I was not referring to those imbeciles._

She claimed that it was not the nomads that she had saved us form although we would not have needed saving from them anyway. If not from them then what? Her appearance and cryptic comments left much aggravation behind in its path. I would be thinking about this for the entirety of the coming week.

"We should go." It seemed that Carlisle had enough distress for one day and wanted to reschedule our baseball game before any other visitors would show up.

"Ah come on. Can't we play a little while longer?" Emmett was happy with this assessment. It had been a while since we had a good enough storm as this one that would allow us to play.

"No. We'll wait till next time Emmett. I want us to leave before anything else crosses through here." Carlisle's words were final, and Emmett wouldn't dare and try to budge him on it. Carlisle's reason for wanting to leave was only half true though. He actually took her warning seriously.

We collected all our bats, gloves, and other equipment and made our way back down the mountain. On the run I noticed Alice's frustration for the very first time. Out of all the predicted outcomes she had seen none of them had come to pass in the way she intended. The only thing that stayed true was that the confrontation fortunately did turn out peaceful. However, still not in the manner that she had foreseen. What plagued her the most were the abnormal fluctuations in her visions that limited her sight. We had never encountered anything that could stir such violent distortions, least of all a vampire.

We reached the mansion only after a few minutes run and secured ourselves in the interior. Alice was the first to immediately speak.

"I didn't even see her coming." Everyone turned around to face her. The element of surprise in the statement itself affected everyone besides me. I was already aware of the failure in her visions.

"At all?" It shocked Jasper the most. Alice occasionally missed few and minor events but she always remained in the light and shed the shadows of mystery if there ever were any. He wasn't used to her being the one in the dark.

"I saw them coming as you know but I didn't see the events that followed, not like that anyway. I only saw glimpses of her but then only because she was so close I think. She wasn't entirely out of my sight but still remained anonymous for the most part. It's infuriating, really. I always thought that vampires are the ones I saw the best since I am one but apparently I was wrong." Carlisle approached Alice with a sympathetic look and placed his hand on her shoulder.

"The future confounds us all, and nothing can ever be certain. Your talent is not an exact science Alice. It's difficult enough to believe that a vampire with your extraordinary gifts even exists. We are safe and that is all that matters so don't take the blame for anything." Carlisle's words comforted Alice and she hesitantly nodded agreeing with him.

"What was Ms. High and mighty thinking about anyway Edward?" I sighed. Rosalie would have to be the one to ask. It was time I admitted to my own failure.

"I don't know."

"What do you mean you don't know?" Emmett sounded skeptical.

"I mean I don't know because there was nothing to hear." The surprise that had dwindled after Alice's confession returned with my own acknowledgement.

"You couldn't hear her thoughts at all? Nothing?" Esme was just as surprised as the others. We had never come across a vampire that was immune to my talents, especially one that knew that I was trying to do something. It was almost like she could detect or even feel my telepathic ability trying to pierce her thoughts.

_You're unsuccessful attempts will not go rewarded sweetling._

Esme was the one to first remember her earlier words.

"She knew you were trying to do something didn't she? The question is whether or not she knew exactly what you were doing or simply guessing." It was a disappointing disaster to have been left with so many unanswered questions.

"I remember now too. I thought it was a little awkward the way she looked at you." I ignored Emmett and looked directly at Carlisle. Perhaps he had answers although his mind was elsewhere.

"It's over and done with now. We all should get back to our regular routines. Although, all of you do me a favor and stay away from the mountains." Carlisle's expression was one of worry.

"But why? You don't take her warning seriously do you?" Jasper seemed to be completely against her in any way possible. He held a grudge for her comical stance on his account but it wasn't just that. Jasper didn't trust vampires outside of our circle besides Peter and Charlotte or the Denali's.

Carlisle didn't answer Jasper. There was something about her that had stuck to him. He was unsure of what it was just yet but her warning seemed real to him. As if there was truly something threatening out there that could put us in harm's way. Carlisle smiled at us and left to go up the stairs leaving us behind dumbfounded.

Of course since Carlisle was worried so was Esme though she deemed that it would be best to leave Carlisle to his thoughts, and proceeded towards the kitchen. There was a banquet at the hospital coming up and she planned on baking cinnamon rolls for the festivities.

"I really don't see why we have to go along with what some arrogant and insolent nomad said. She probably just told us to stay away from the mountains so she can kill as many humans as she can in the time given. Its ridiculous." Rosalie was beginning to try my patience.

"For once Rosalie, why not keep your self-centered and callous statements to yourself and look in the mirror if you want to see some real insolence. I'm so sick of your unnecessary remarks and insults." As my sentences progressed Rosalie's eyes grew wider and wider in size. I felt like a huge rock had been taken of my shoulders that had grown over the past century with tremendous velocity after hearing one unjustified comment after the other from her. I didn't give her the chance to respond and proceeded up the stairs to my room.

As I ran up the stairs I heard Rosalie's mental curses and Emmett's growing mental distress. He would have to listen to it all tonight but I didn't feel sorry for him. After all the times he joked on my expense I guess now was the time to give him something to grief over. I got to my room and shut the door behind me. I hung my barely used jersey back in my closet and put on a light blue shirt and switched my jeans with dark dress pants.

When I completed dressing myself I found that I was frozen where I was and thinking about the events prior to this evening yet again. I simply couldn't get it out of my head. My mind composed more and more questions while at the same time it thirsted for the answers that were well hidden in the darkness.

Who was she? What was her name? Where had she come from? Why did she interfere in our affairs? What did she warn us from? Why couldn't I hear her thoughts?

These were only few leaves that hung on a tree of questions with hundreds more. The most prominent question however was, why did I even care? I never used to care about who we'd meet. I would simply stand there like a statue and observe their thoughts and ensure our safety and patrol for any hidden back thoughts that might put as at risk.

She said to stay away from the mountains but why? She left so much chaos and uncertainty in her path. I wish I'd know her name then perhaps we…

My lips curved into a victorious smile. There actually might be a way for me to discover her identity without even having her giving me the information I inquire. Why didn't I think of it before? I hastily stepped out of my room and made my way down to the mid level of our house, and to Carlisle's study. I heard his thoughts and wasn't surprised to find out that he was already way ahead of me. I stopped in front of the door and waited but a second for him to invite me in.

"Please come in Edward." At the sound of his voice I opened the door to find Carlisle positioned behind his large wooden desk and looking over a well sized leather bound book. He looked at me pleasantly like he always did.

"What can I do for you Edward?" I tried to hide my smile when I realized the irony of his question; he was already doing it.

I cocked my head forward and pointed it at the book in front of him. Carlisle laughed without any surprise in the edges of his clear voice.

"Great minds think alike my son."

In front of Carlisle sat a book that held immense and quite possibly dangerous power if it were to ever fall in the wrong hands. It was large and was bound in smooth brown leather bindings. The title of the book was simple: _Vampiro._

The book is an index that was created by Aro himself. According to Carlisle Aro, Marcus and Caius began the construction of the index in the early 1400th century. Aro had the idea to basically catalog all know vampires alive and deceased. He included their whereabouts, their names, talents, and any other additional information that he could make himself aware about. It also contained ancient vampire history like the vampire wars of Kemet, or ancient Greece, and Midgard as Europe was known back then.

I had never really acknowledged the book since I could care less about our species. It might sound somewhat traitorous but I loathed what I was, and where my parasitic ancestors came from although that part of our history was completely forgotten.

"I thought that perhaps our special guest made an entry in Aro's _catalog._" Carlisle shook his head at the sound of his last word. As far as we knew there were only two copies. One of them resides in Volterra, the original, and one was with Carlisle. It was a gift from Aro and therefore it was cherished and well taken care of by Carlisle.

"Did you find anything?" I didn't know how long Carlisle had been looking but it seemed that he had just flipped it open. I had always wondered how Aro could have gathered information on the plethora of vampires that wander our world but his talent was beneficial in gathering the knowledge that he sought.

"I actually just began looking through it. I have studied it before and know most of the faces painted in the pages but I had hoped to have missed something that described our visitor since I couldn't recognize her. I did however find a small notice about Laurent. Listen:

_Laurent – Born in the late 17th century in New Orleans. No noteworthy history regards this vampire. No talent to speak of. Last known location: The new world._

So apparently she knew what she was talking about when she mentioned that Laurent was Creole. James and Victoria are mentioned as well. They like Laurent didn't get the privilege of a picture however.

_James – Born in the mid 18th century in Mississippi. A tracker by nature and talent with lethal properties. Mated with a female known as Victoria. Last known location: The new world. _

_Victoria – Born in the early 19th century in Wisconsin. Talent consists of the unique ability to identify escape routes. Mates with a male known as James. Last known location: The new world. _

According to Aro's letter he updated this index last sixty years ago."

A messenger arrived at our doorstep about ten years ago after searching the United States for us. Aro knew that Carlisle eventually journeyed to America but was unaware of his precise location. The messenger's name was Corin who searched for only two months. He was able to locate Carlisle through the American database of known doctors and got lucky when he found someone by the name of "Carlisle Cullen". He didn't say much at all but that the book was a kind gift from Aro which he wanted Carlisle to have.

I observed the light brown pages as Carlisle turned them and marveled at the detailed, and hand drawn pictures of all the vampires. Carlisle estimated that according to the book there were little over two hundred vampires in the world. Our numbers kept low in order to preserve our need for secrecy.

I walked around the table to view the pages better from behind Carlisle's shoulder. He continued to flip them until I noticed that the current page was dedicated to him. There was a beautiful representation of Carlisle drawn with what seemed to be simple water colors, and there was text also.

_Carlisle – A vampire born in the early 17th century and friend of Volterra. Prides himself with the exceptional skill to distain from drinking human blood and only consume that of mere animals. Such a diet creates a golden hue in his eyes and that of his coven. There are currently six other member in his covenant which reside in the new world._

"Prides himself?" I chuckled and shook my head realizing that it must have been Aro and not his brothers that wrote this passage. Carlisle laughed.

"It's true that I am proud of what I am and what my family has become but I wouldn't have used the terminology in such a way."

I disregarded Aro's description of Carlisle and molded all my focus back into identifying our recent guest. There were many pages with some vampires that I knew were Carlisle's friends like Siobhan's coven in Ireland or Amun's coven in Egypt. Most vampires in the book were nomads though and traveled mostly alone or in pairs as many of our kind do.

"Do you even think she made an entry? It's possible that she might be a younger vampire and Aro hasn't discovered her yet." I tried to examine every single possibility. I fervently hoped that she had an entry in the index and that we could lift some heavy mists surrounding her secrets. Carlisle's face I noticed was hard and expressionless.

_I doubt it Edward._

This came as a surprise to me. Did Carlisle know something I didn't? His mind replayed the events of earlier today over and over in his head.

_The atmosphere before she arrived in the clearing was tense. They threatened us with exposure and taking human blood while we warned them that we wouldn't see too kindly to this. Then she arrived and brought with her a very ludicrous and somewhat comical aura. This distracted us for a while and lead away from the subject that was at hand, and calmed the tension between our two covens. Then she insulted our visitors to bring their attention to her. Although I'm sure she only did this to test them and to see how they would handle their new problem. It was then when her demeanor completely changed. She reevaluated the situation and took control. Then she used rather profound knowledge of the political system of our kind and ruled the situation; much like a judge. That wasn't the work of newborn. _

Carlisle was amazing. I would have never looked at it from such a perspective but now thinking back on it he was completely right. The poise and the strength of her tone which she used almost demanded respect and she looked as if she knew what she was doing or had done so before. Perhaps she was as old as we were or even as old as Carlisle.

Carlisle and I spent the next two hours flipping frustratingly through the ancient pages of the book that held all the secrets of our kind. In these two hours I must have seen the fair countenance of almost every vampire in existence including those that had been destroyed in the past. Carlisle and I were obsessed with finding a picture or even a small reference to her but as we neared the final pages of the book our hopes that were small candles of determined flaring fire within us began to grow extinguished. The final picture and paragraph in the book referred to the Amazonian vampire Zafrina.

Carlisle sat back in his chair sighing defeated and gripped the bridge between his nose and forehead with his thumb and index finger. I turned around to sit on his desk and shook my head disappointed.

"Unbelievable. Not even a picture or even a small reference or description that comes even remotely close to what we're looking for. Aro has collected so much data over the past six centuries. He assembled the memories of countless vampires and in turn gained the memories of others that they had met and not one has seen our guest even once? This is maddening."

"Carlisle…" I watched Carlisle as he spoke and saw that there were a few remaining pages after the last entry that he hadn't paid any mind to.

"What about those last few pages? There could be chance she is listed there." Carlisle smiled but shook his head even more defeated that before.

"I doubt that very much Edward, unfortunately." Carlisle turned the page to reveal about four more pages that seemed to have nothing but text. I didn't understand his surrender however, couldn't there be a possibility that she is mentioned here?

"Well why couldn't she be mentioned here Carlisle?" I pointed at the pages but regretted asking when I began to read the texts.

"These last few pages deal with vampires of legend that have never been proven to exist. Their names have been heard perhaps once throughout the many eons but no hard evidence exists that could prove their status. Aro must have thought that it was worth mentioning since much like humanity vampires have legends of their own." Carlisle was right.

There were no neatly drawn images that could hint any form of recognition to our guest. There were just lines of some of the most ancient legends of our world. It even dealt with werewolves and told about the ancient werewolf elder Fenrir. I flipped to the very last page of the book and found only a small paragraph and eight listed names with no further information.

_Some of the oldest mentioned names. These are of legends that are as absurd as some human myths regarding to fairies and other such nonsense._

_Apotamkin_

_Celest_

_Conterra_

_Kao-Guojiu_

_Olokun_

_Pilirin_

_Rusalka_

_Tamula_

"Why even mention them if their pure myth?" I snorted when I read the paragraph and the need to list names of mythological vampires. Carlisle held a sympathetic look as he always did.

"I'm sure that Aro wished to include all of our history. Even whispers of vampires whose existence is not yet justified by discovery. In the past however some of these whispers have been proven to be very true. For example the werewolf elder Fenrir was a legend until Caius encountered him over a thousand years ago in Europe. Caius almost lost the fight too. Fortunately for him the guard arrived and was able to chase Fenrir away before he could conflict any damage."

I recognized the importance of the mention but unfortunately for it, it was tainted by my annoyance that our contingence plan for discovering the identity of _her_ ended in failure. I got off Carlisle's desk and made way to the exit. I glanced at all of Carlisle's shelves filled with countless books and many even dealing with the various human based vampire legends of the world. They didn't know that some of those came closer to the truth than they knew.

"Do you really think we should heed her warning then?" I was still conflicting with whether or not to give her warning any serious distress at all. Carlisle nodded once.

"Yes. I don't think her statement was meant to be intimidating or false. I think she was serious and I believe that for the time being we should take it seriously."

I nodded to myself and left Carlisle in his office and closed the door behind me disappointed. I knew that all of this would bother and would lay heavy on my thoughts for the next couple of days. This was exactly why I didn't read mystery novels unless they were complete. I didn't appreciate being kept it the dark.

I closed my door behind me and walked over to my walk in glass door that overlooked the grandiose forest of Forks. I leaned on the side of the wall and crossed my arms over my chest. The storm had returned with monumental winds and raindrops. The entire town was being bombarded with heavy rain and wild winds. Lighting struck in the distance and for short times illuminated even the blackest parts of the forest.

_Stay away from the mountains…_

What could possibly be out there that could threaten us?

(Authors Note) - "I didn't appreciate being kept in the dark." Thats for you 0-Angela-0 ;-))! Please **review** and let me know your thoughts. Positive and Negative reviews are welcome as I appreciate everyone's opinion.


	6. Chapter 5

Assault

Though at first everybody's thoughts seemed to be in union they drifted apart eventually as the days progressed. The encounter in the woods became less and less important to everyone as they went on with their daily activities. At first the house was stirred with much confusion and curiosity but as the call of our regular lives shouted at us those emotions evaporated. Carlisle still believed that we should heed her warning and forbade us all to go hunt near the mountains and directed us to stay in the central forest areas or even go south.

Four days had passed without any news or any other visitors. As I had predicted the events of earlier this week stayed with me for several days. I couldn't bring myself to stop thinking about them or _her. _The sticky situation with the nomads was forgotten quickly by my mind while the memories of her lingered the strongest. I couldn't believe that Carlisle's index of vampires didn't even have one small mention that came even close to her physical appearance. For some reason I hadn't expected to find a picture but I had hoped for at least a small passage with a description that would suit her. I had hoped to find sentences describing her flowing caramel mahogany hair, prominent cheekbones, and her perfectly curved body.

I sat in my room reading a book on Buddhism and the supposed way to enlightenment while shaking my head and wondering how those thoughts infected my head. Flowing caramel hair, perfectly curved body? I furrowed my brows to the absurd ideas my thoughts were trying to create. Of course she was beautiful but then most vampire females held that quality in common with her. There wasn't a difference between her and oh let's say Tanya or Rosalie's complexions. The distinction lay solely in hair color and facial features but the rest like marble bodies, perfect statures, and graceful gestures were the same. So why did she reside in my thoughts compared to the others the longest?

I had to stop sulking and reading. I tossed the book over on the couch and exited my room. I needed to get involved with any kind of activities that were going on downstairs in the hopes that the memories of her would finally diminish. The house was filled with the aromas of cinnamon, chocolate, and freshly baked bread. Esme was still at it. She had already filled eight cookie sheets with cinnamon rolls and the flatter version that I believe was called cinnamon buns. The separate flavors smelt actually quite relaxing and warm but when they were combined to create regular, and boring human food they became unsatisfying and downright disgusting.

When I arrived downstairs I saw Emmett and Jasper going at it with some silly racing game that they played on the television with Emmett's brand new Play Station 3. At least I think that's what it was called. Around the corner I saw Rosalie and Alice searching the web for new clothes and making plans for complete wardrobe changes. Alice played with the idea of throwing Rosalie a fashion show with countless new designer clothes, shoes, belts etc.

Rosalie completely ignored me. According to Emmett she was very upset about the statement I had made towards her a couple of days ago. He urged me to apologize to her but I declined. Every single word I had uttered to her that day stayed with me and was absolutely honest, and I meant everything I had said. Though somewhere deep down I knew that my nature wouldn't allow for such rudeness and foul play so I would most likely apologize to her but it will be on my own time.

I heard Carlisle's thoughts emanate form our pretend dining room and was stunned by his current thinking process. I quickly joined him in the room and saw him sitting on the dark mahogany table surrounded by seven chairs of which one he was currently occupying. He held a black drawing pencil in his hand and was sketching something on a large white piece of paper. I quickly joined him and looked over his shoulder to discover that he was actually drawing _her. _

"What are you doing?" I came downstairs to get my mind off of her and to my painful surprise it led me right back to her.

"I'm sketching our guest. I hope to add her to the book and continue it where Aro had left off." Carlisle's sketch was good. It captured her beautifully. He drew her from the last memory he had of her. Standing in the middle of the clearing with her back turned to us and only her head sticking over her shoulder to stare at us with that blank expression.

"What are you going to write about her? We don't know anything useful." I didn't even know where in the book he would add her too, even her name was shrouded in mystery.

"Well we know that she has a rather intellectual knowledge of our laws, and to me that indicated leadership but of course that isn't enough to go on. Perhaps we'll meet her again in the future and she will be open for negotiations and reveal her identity to us."

Sometimes it seemed to be that Carlisle's determination was fueled by nothing but the eternal hope that sprung in eternal amounts within him. I wondered if we'd meet her again too. There were so many questions that needed answering and she was the only one that could give them to me.

"Edward?" I heard Esme's gently voice call me from the kitchen where the smell of cinnamon rolls was the strongest. Carlisle was so focused on his sketching that I don't even think he noticed me leaving his side. I couldn't wait to see where he would catalog her in the book. I climbed the small two steps into the kitchen and saw Esme wearing a pink kitchen apron and still rolling up doe and putting white frosting over her cinnamon rolls.

"Jeez Esme. It looks like your baking for an entire army rather than just a simple banquet." The kitchen if you could even still see it was crowded with vast amounts of tiny wooden baskets filled with cinnamon rolls and cinnamon buns. There were some baskets wrapped in clear paper with red ribbons on top that looked like presents. Esme laughed softly.

"Well once I began it was difficult to just stop. I decided to make baskets for the sick patients so they could have some snacks too. I thought that it might brighten their day." I laughed tenderly and starred admiringly at Esme.

"Heaven must be missing an angel." Esme laughed and covered her mouth with her flour covered white hand.

"Hardly Edward. What are you doing right now?" She raised her delicate brown eyebrows that covered her glistening bright golden eyes. She was delighted by my comment and somewhat at awe by my comparison.

"Nothing that could be considered important. Why do you ask?" I picked up one of the cinnamon rolls and brought it to my nose to breathe in its deep scent. It actually didn't smell that bad especially if one isolated the scents and didn't smell the _thing _as a whole.

"Well I was wondering if you could do me a small favor and run to Port Angeles? I unfortunately don't have the time right now since I have my hands full and the others seem busy too. If you could, can you go to Odyssey's Bookshop for me and pick up my order please?" I don't think I could deny Esme. I think I overheard her speaking on the phone not too long ago to order more books to further her linguistic skills. She was fascinated by the old languages of the world and always looked for new and died out speeches.

"Yeah no problem. Do I need anything or is it already paid for?" Esme nodded pleased.

"Oh thank you Edward, and yes it's already paid for. All you have to do is present them with the order number. Let me get my receipt." Esme hurried to one of the drawers in our white and flour covered kitchen to retrieve her receipt. It didn't take her long at all before she handed it to me appreciatively.

"Thank you again Edward." Esme reached up and gave me small kiss on the cheek. I smiled one of my many rare smiles.

"You're welcome." I left Esme behind in the kitchen humming a tune and opening another package of flour and proceeded through the living room. Jasper and Emmett were so focused on their game that a nuclear reaction could go off in the distance and they wouldn't even notice. I opened the main door to the house and noticed small bits of rain falling from the cloud covered sky so I decided to take my bronze leather jacket with me just for show. It was rather cold outside for humans and I didn't want to draw attention to myself by walking around with a short sleeved shirt.

In a moments time I was sitting in my Volvo and turned the ignition to roar it to life. I pulled out of our muddy driveway and down the small path leading to the highway trying not to the let the uncut trees scratch my car. It wasn't that big of a difficulty and I reached the main road in no time. There seemed to be a veil of mist moving in. I could already see it forming and soon it would consume everything in its path. I wondered it would reach Port Angeles as well.

It was already getting dark and I wanted this to be a quick trip. I didn't even bother turning on my lights and floored it. On the drive I tried to clear my mind and not think about the strange events of past days. The thing that bothered me the most though was her warning. Why was their need to stay away from the mountains? The thought continued to eat away at me and tear my insides out. My head went through various different scenarios attempting to imagine a situation in which we could find ourselves in any sort of trouble. The only thing that could present any serious magnitude of danger was others of our kind.

My nerves were shot and I felt like my head was coming apart as I continued to think it over. I never experienced such a mental disaster when meeting others of our kind. It was like she swept through my mind and left wild fires of doubt within it. The drive wasn't long and I could already see the distant lights of Port Angeles.

I allowed my car some relaxation when I watched the speed on the speedometer slow so I could match the other cars swift. I turned on my lights and entered the city. The mist had followed me and began to hunger for objects it could surround as it nestled itself over the city and devoured the air. I had been to Odyssey's books before so I knew the way over to Laurel Street. I pulled up right in front of their entrance and breathed in the cool night air when I got out of my car. It was refreshing.

I quickly scanned my surrounding for any human activity and surprisingly found none. There were mental voices that carried over the winds thinking about what to make for dinner or the homework that had to be done tonight but other than that the streets were deserted.

I entered the building and was immediately bombarded with the soothing scent of fresh paper and newly printed books. It was always comforting to be surrounded by knowledge for me. There were stacks of books piled up next to the door that seemed like they hadn't been sorted yet. I went straight to the reception desk and found a small blond headed middle aged woman sitting behind it wearing half moon spectacles.

"Excuse me." The woman blinked surprised as if she didn't even hear me come in. She was consumed in the book that she was reading and didn't even notice.

"Oh, good evening dear. How can I help you?" I fished Esme's receipt out of my pocket and handed it to hear without trying to make physical contact. I didn't want the elderly woman to feel my cold and inhuman touch. She took it from my hand and examined it for only a moment through her funny looking glasses before I detected hints of recognition in her eyes.

"Oh okay. This will just take a second dear. Why don't you help yourself to some candy corn there until I come back?" I looked at the small blue bowl that held bits of white, yellow, and orange triangle shaped sweets. I had forgotten that Halloween was upon us. I saw the woman go into the back and noticed that by the exception of me the store was completely vacant. Must almost be closing time I thought since it was so empty. I heard a rustling sound from the back and saw her putting Esme's books in a clear plastic back. She reappeared a second later and smiled at me friendly.

"There you go dear. Already all paid for. I hope you come visit us again. Did you have some candy corn?" I flashed my crooked smile at her when she handed me the bag.

"Yes. They were delightful ma'am." I lied. That stuff looked like small colored rocks and more or likely tasted just like it. I saw her look at the bowl and notice the unmoved candy that lay there.

"Oh okay. Well you have a wonderful night. Don't stay out to late now. You never know what sort of figures are out and about out there." She smiled warm heartedly at me which reminded me of Carlisle. I withheld my laugh when she conjured the possibility of some dangerous and dark figure harming me. It was in fact I that could be that dark figure.

"Thank you. I wish you a wonderful night as well." I turned my back on her and was actually quite taken with her politeness and friendly attitude.

I stepped back out into the fresh night air and recognized the mist that now covered the entire city in its silvery veils. I took another swipe of the clean air and froze. My eyes that were closed peacefully a moment ago snapped back open in shock. I looked to either side of me and saw nothing but it wasn't what I saw or heard. The air was now filled with the mouthwatering aphrodisiac of freesias, jasmine and burning fire. IT WAS HER SCENT!

The scent wasn't here minutes ago before I stepped into the bookstore. It was fresh and new like it had only been created moments ago. The scent followed down the dark street to my left. Parts of me were encouraging me to follow it and perhaps conceive the answers that I longed for so hungrily. Then again other parts of me which were undoubtedly the smarter ones urged me to get into my car and drive home to safety. I glanced into the direction the scent trailed and saw nothing in the shadows of the night with my heightened vampire eyesight.

I was torn. If she had just been by here like I hypothesized then surely she would have taken note of my scent as well, the scent of another. My eyes traveled back and forth between my car and the street. Should I follow it or turn tail and head home? Oh what the hell. If she wanted to hurt me or my family she could have already done so. I didn't know why but somehow this felt like a trap to me so I might as well spring it.

My feet suddenly began to move on their own as I followed the scent down the street in a human pace. Why I did this was unclear. Apart from the car honking in the distance and the ludicrous chatter that I could overhear the street was blessedly free of humans. The scent didn't trail straight for long. I came to a stop and detected its presence to curve around the corner and into a dark alley.

I took a hopeful glance into the alley and saw nothing but piled up trashcans lined on either side of the buildings. In the very back of the alley I saw a street lantern illuminating the dark. I continued to the follow the scent. I had already started so I might as well see where it ends up. The alley wore a disgusting perfume of rotting food, old wet clothes, and rat droppings. I heard small drops of water as they collided with the floor somewhere beside me and saw rats fleeing into small cracks in the building as I passed them. I eventually reached the back of the alley and came to an intersection. Well it wasn't really an intersection. I could go right or left or turn back. The back alley was blocked with a brick wall that followed it along the pathways to the left and right.

The scent ended here. OH COME ON! How is this possible? There was nothing hidden in the vast abyss of darkness to either side of me or in the direction I came from. The small spot I stood on was lit by a streetlight I noticed when I glanced up high in the air to see if she might have jumped but nothing. The scene was somewhat…fearful however. I could barely hear the honking of cars in the distance anymore. It was completely dark other than the streetlight that kept me company. I saw the ground covered in mist all the way up to the lower part of my knees. I couldn't hear the sounds of any animals. No rodents, birds, buzzing or crawling insects were to be detected in any direction. It was like they all fled from me or rather… something else. It was like a scene out of a horror movie and I just waited for the monster to jump out and snatch the helpless victim. Although there wasn't one.

I examined the brick wall and toyed with the thought that she might have jumped over it but the scent ended right here! In the spot I stood were the last reminisce of the scent that I knew belonged to her. I took a last glimpse at the trees on the other side of the brick wall and turned to leave. Perhaps the trail went straight right in front of the entrance to the alley and I just hadn't noticed. I turned away from the wall and damn near chocked on my own breath.

SHE WAS HERE STANDING BEHIND ME!

I reverted back a couple of feet as she appeared like an apparition. My eyes grew wide as I took in her magnificent stance. Her clothes hadn't changed but then again vampires really weren't in the need of changing clothes since our scents always stayed the same and didn't taint with the passing of days like human odors did. Esme's bag of books had fallen to the ground when I took in the small surprise that now stood right in front of me.

Her dark ruby eyes were held low and somewhat narrowed but hadn't changed color which was bewildering. Her eyes should have grown darker with the passage of days unless she had hunted but then they still shouldn't be this dark. I knew from personal experience and the memory of my own glistening red eyes so many decades ago that my theory was right. There was no smile covering her face this time. Her lips drew a straight line across her face and she looked… dangerous.

I tried to speak but the words got stuck in the back of my throat every time I attempted to do so. This looked definitely like a trap and I had wandered willingly into it.

Suddenly her left leg moved forward and illuminated the alley with the first sound since the bag of books had landed on the ground. It was a "clack" like sound as her heel touched the cemented ground beneath us. Her right leg then moved forward and mimicked the notion of its predecessor. She moved closer to me. I took a step back as she took another one forward. Her eyes remained down and glaring as I took three more steps backwards as she continued to slowly approach me. There was a thud and to my horror I found that she had cornered me. My hands felt the dusty texture of the brick wall behind me and I felt truly imprisoned. I toyed with the idea of maybe jumping to the left or right and making a run for it but… I didn't even hear or smell her come up behind me.

She stopped in her advance when she was only inches away from me. Her facial expression didn't change and continued to look hazardous. Suddenly I felt something cold, actually cold wrap around my right hand. I looked down to see her hand encase mind. In that instance I felt a surge in my body like an electric current running through my veins and bringing new emotions to my body. This wasn't right. Why was her hand so cold? It shouldn't be like that. It should be warm. Her expression didn't change.

I couldn't let this go on. I had to take defensive measures. My unoccupied left arm reached up in the air and I curved my hands in claw like gesture and was about to strike when my entire arm and hand stopped in the middle of their action. I looked at my arm expecting to see her hand wrapped around it stopping me but there was nothing. My arm was frozen in mid air. I grunted as I tried to move it but didn't get a response from it. I tried to pull my fingers into a fist but was unsuccessful in doing so and only managed a small shaking. Then I noticed that the same thing happened to my legs. I tried to kick my legs forward and remove her closeness but nothing. It was like I was being held by some evanescent force.

My lips trembled with fear at my own vulnerability. This couldn't be happening! I chose to return my gaze to her. My attempted measure to strike failed and left my arm frozen and my fingers only inches from her face. She looked completely relaxed.

Then I felt her cool fingers caressing my hand. Her small fingers traveled up the palm of my hand intertwined with my own. Her thumb lay on mine and she began to draw circles on the surface. What was this? I had never seen or heard of such an act before. What was I…

"AHHHHH….GOD!" A rather profound grunt erupted from my throat when I felt her nail pierce the surface of my thumb. I breathed heavily through quenched teeth and looked at my injury. I heard a small cracking sound as her nail penetrated me and created a small wound on the flat surface of my thumb. I saw small trace amounts of blood freeing themselves from my body. It was the blood of the mountain lions I had devoured and my body hadn't yet absorbed. Around the red liquid I noticed another one. It was almost entirely clear except for the small hints of light lime green coloring that it possessed. My venom!

I looked at her appalled and infuriated. I attempted to speak or rather scream at her when our intertwined fingers began to move. I tried with all my might to hold my hand back but it was a futile attempt. Whatever otherworldly force was binding me to this very spot was strong and completely immobilized me. She halted our connected thumbs right in front of her face and moved her eyes to examine them. Then there was something I had never witnessed in our world before. She slowly closed her eyes and trapped her cold lips around the blood and my venom. I huffed surprised and ignorant to such an action and felt a small suction on my thumb.

Her eyes snapped back open immediately and I saw her pupils shrinking as she stared at me while her lips remained closed around our thumbs. It didn't last but two seconds for her pupils to return to their regular size. While still trapped in her lips I felt her nail retrieving from my body and endured a small stinging sensation as she did so. She freed my thumb and finally released my hand.

Suddenly there was this feeling of ease and the ability to breathe regularly again and I collapsed to the ground as I was freed of the invisible force that had captured me. I breathed heavily and irregularly which wasn't something that I was used to. I cautiously and slowly returned my glance upwards and saw her standing over me with a crooked and victorious dark smile covering her features.

"Thank you." She whispered in a soft voice and turned away from me. She walked down the left side of the alley in a human pace. The mists almost completely covered her feet all the way to her knees as the wind blew through her hair and coat uncontrollably. My attention returned to the small injury on my thumb. I looked back just in time to see the small cracks slowly closing around the fissure in my body. It was healing slower than usual and to my shock didn't heal completely. There was no crack or serious piercing wound from this assault but instead there was a thin dark blue, and horizonally crescent shaped scar covering my thumb now that represented the size of her nail.

I looked back into the direction I assumed she had disappeared in but to my surprise still found her standing there. Her upper body was arched backwards as she looked over her shoulder and directly at me. There was a small smile covering her lips now. I had never, NEVER met a vampire that did such things like drink another vampires venom even if it only was a few drops. I heard a small chuckle escaping her smoth lips as she flashed me a lazy smile and exposed her shiny venom coated teeth.

"We shall meet again. Edward. Cullen." How did she know my name? She turned around and walked away and evaporated into the wall of fog. As I watched her walk away it looked almost like she became transparent and simply disappeared like a ghost.

_Who are you?_

(Authors Note) – Bella's theme - Era's Enae Volare Mezzo. Please **review** as always.


	7. Chapter 6

The Ancients

The winds were slowly settling down as the mist continued to embark over the buildings above and moving on to new territory. The night sky threw a dark shadow over the city and began to release sparkles of rain. How long has it been now? Perhaps two minutes or two hours? I sat on the ground leaned up against the brick wall behind me staring into the direction she disappeared in after trapping me in this alley and taking drops of my venom with her.

I was in a state of shock if that were possible for our kind. My entire being shook with waves of fear and unpredictability. In all my years of being a vampire I had only been scared on two different occasions. One was decades ago and after my rebellious face when I returned to Carlisle and Esme. I was scared and worried that they would not accept me back after I had massacred so many humans that I deemed unworthy of life after a decade of gruesome murders. The other time just happened several minutes ago.

There was a slight stinging sensation coming from my right hand that originated from the surface of my thumb. I brought it into view as I examined the unnatural and simply impossible scar she had left behind that would forever be a symbol to _her. _It looked like a perfect little crescent scar with a light blue hue. I pressed my thumb to my index finger to determine the amount of discomfort I was going to receive and felt a minor burning sensation as I did so. How was this possible? If she had bitten me it would be clear. The only thing that can leave marks on an immortal body is the bite of another immortal but how can something like this occur?

I used the wall behind me for leverage as I helped myself off the ground to finally stand on my own two feet again. My breathing for a short while was irregular and heavy. It had returned to normal only seconds after she departed and my subconscious believed me to be safe. I knew it was not a conscious decision. I lifted my arms in the air as a test to see if the invisible force was still somewhat present but luckily I found this not to be the case. What was that? Is that what one calls when one is paralyzed with fear? That couldn't be. No. I was decided to strike but something that I could not see stopped me, and rooted me in this very spot.

I had to get home. I dusted myself off quickly and grabbed Esme's books from the ground. I took a wary look into my surroundings and not just in the direction she had evaporated in. I was alone. I hastily made my way back down the alley and detected that there were still no humans occupying the street as for now. Perfect. I bolted out of the alley with inhuman speed and back down the street to see my car sitting where I had left it. I almost tore the door off when I secured myself within and roared the engines to life. My car screamed in surprise when I launched out onto the open road.

I wanted to get away from here, away from Port Angeles and away from her. There were cars honking brutally when I passed them with impossible speed and ignored everything regarding driving laws. Tonight was a night that I would remember always, and forever look back to and shiver in the dark confrontation I had to partake in. I looked in the rearview mirror and saw the misty lights of the metropolis fade in the distance.

What did she do? Why did she do it? She thanked me but why? I squeezed my eyes shut and let my ears guide me back to Forks. Her glowering gaze haunted my present mind and once more she had left wild fires of destruction within me. What sort of vampire was she? Where there any answers out there? Did anyone know what was going on here?

The slight burning sensation in my thumb seemed to ease as I swiftly approached Forks. Though the insignificant tingle of pain in my thumb faded the crescent like scar remained and would eternally be a reminder of the events of tonight.

_We shall meet again. Edward. Cullen._

How did she know my name? My memories traveled back to the clearing of four days ago in attempts to conclude whether or not my name was heard. It was the only time that she could have gotten that information but I already knew that it wasn't the case. If she paid attention and somehow I knew she did than she'd only know Carlisle's name. He only introduced himself and never mentioned any of our names but rather presented us as his family.

I raced past the city limits into Forks and couldn't wait to get home. There had to be something in that book of Carlisle's. There must be something that we missed or overlooked. I strongly believed that such a vampire could not have gone unknown by the Volturi. According to Carlisle Aro sent out many of his agents to track and record every single vampire they found and transfer the information back to the ancients. Aro himself had met a plethora of vampires over his three thousand years. There must be SOMETHING!

The lights in our house were on when I pulled in the driveway and let my car rest. I turned off the ignition and… just sat there. I closed my eyes and drew small and shallow breaths. I can't believe how easily I walked into her trap especially since I had already guessed that it could have been one. I looked at my thumb and saw the scar almost glow when the moonlight touched it. It looked like one of Jasper's many battle scars that he obtained in the south during the wars. Only my scar was much smaller and in addition was not caused by a bite. I got out of my car and took a hold of the bag with Esme's books. I was glad that I didn't forget them during all this chaos.

I walked up the stairs slowly and stared defeated at my feet taking one slow and deliberate step after another. I stopped in front of the entrance to the house. They all must have heard me coming. Strangely enough I thought I would see Alice standing on the top step worried and already informed about what happened but she wasn't. I took a small step and tried to reorder my facial features into something appropriate and normal rather than hysterical.

I opened the door and found that Jasper and Emmett were still at it with that moronic video game. I looked at the watch around my wrist and noticed to my surprise that I had only been gone for an hour and a half. It had seemed longer to me.

I walked right through the deserted dinning room to the kitchen and discovered that Esme was finally finished with her frantic baking. She was in the process of washing all the cook wear and wrapping her pastries. The kitched was completely tranformed. I wondered how long it took her to clean it all even with her special gifts that vampirism granted.

"Here are your books Esme." She smiled excited at me and crossed the kitchen with unseen movement. She took the bag and peeked inside as her excitement reached new heights.

"Thank you Edward. I have been looking forward to these for quite some time now." She reached up and gave me another small kiss on the cheek. I smiled back at her and had to use all the strength I had to convince her of a normal and regular Edward. I didn't want my small encounter to be public knowledge just yet. I had to see Carlisle first.

"You're welcome Esme. If you'll excuse me I have to see Carlisle." Esme's eyes twitched with curiosity but let it go and nodded kindly.

I turned away from her and allowed my moments glowing countenance to fall back to its original disturbed and grim state. As I walked up the stairs I identified the thoughts of a very annoying small thing that was waiting for me in the hallway where Carlisle's study was. Alice! She must have seen something after all that caused her worry. As I turned in the hallway she suddenly stood in front of me.

_Are you okay Edward? I was so worried over an hour ago. WHY DIDN'T YOU TAKE YOUR CELL PHONE WITH YOU!! I was ready to make a run for Port Angeles. _

Her eyes were trembling with worry for me. I immediately regretted my earlier thought about her being annoying but then she was thinking about taking me out back and slapping me.

"What did you see?" I asked her in low and quite voice. I didn't want anyone else to hear just yet. Her brows furrowed agitated.

_I saw almost nothing. Those strange distorted fluctuations in my visions returned. But for a small second I saw a glimpse of her. The vampire that we met in the clearing that settled our dispute with the nomads I mean. I saw her approach you… I think. But that's about all I saw. Carlisle is in his study as you probably already know. Might if I accompany you or should I watch from a distance? _She tried to hide her smile poorly as she thought the last bit of the sentence. I shook my head amused at her. I motioned my hand behind me inclining her to wait until I wanted everyone to know. Alice didn't actually know what truly happened just yet but she would soon enough. She would probably know before Carlisle will.

She smiled and danced around me down the hall heading to her room to _watch. _I was somewhat hesitant. I considered for only a split second not to tell Carlisle but I had to talk to someone and it would only be him. I took the last few steps to stand in front of his door and as always waited for him to invite me in.

"Come in Edward." I heard his friendly voice echo from behind the door and pushed it aside to see him sitting behind his desk. He chuckled when he saw me come in.

"Well this seems to become more frequent doesn't it? Not that I'm complaining quite on the contrary. You must have heavy things bothering your mind lately to come and see me so often son." I closed the door behind me and gave it my best effort to put my usual mask of comfort on but it failed. Carlisle's smile faded as he absorbed my mood and furrowed his brows.

"Is there something troubling you Edward?" His expression much like Alice's was one of pure worry. How would I begin this? Where would I even start? Perhaps it would be prudent to begin with a suspicion that has been conquering my thoughts for the better part of twenty minutes. I ignored his question.

"May I talk to you?" I took a seat in one of the two chairs in front of his desk and hid my scarred hand in the other, and away from detection.

"Anything, Edward." Carlisle was now both worried and curious. It seemed that curiosity was truly something that all our kind had in common.

"Well I was wondering if you could… Well you see I…" I frowned at myself and glowered at my entrapped hand.

"Edward you seem shaken. What's going on?" Carlisle leaned forward and folded his hand in front of him on the desk. I took a deep breath and very much planned to form a complete sentence this time.

"I was wondering if you could… tell me about the ancients." When the thought at first occurred to me after the little discussion Carlisle and me had I dismissed it quickly but for some reason now it seemed to be a reasonable explanation concerning her. Carlisle looked troubled at first but was as always still willing. He exhaled slowly and swallowed before continuing.

"What would you like to know?

"Well let's start at the beginning. What defines and ancient? What makes a vampire deserving of that status?" I had been wondering about that anyway. Surely it was age that glorified a vampire to such a rank but what age. Carlisle cleared his throat.

"Well, according to Aro an ancient is a vampire that has lived at least two hundred lifeages of man. In other words a vampire who is at least two thousand years old. Basically any vampire that was born before B.C.E could be considered an ancient."

I blinked confused. "Why that specific age?"

"It is around that time when the changes begin to occur."

Changes? I think I do remember a time when Carlisle spoke of the gradual change vampires undergo do to advanced age. He spoke of the fact that we become more powerful along the way depending on our age. But I think I remembered him stating that there wasn't a difference in abilities other than talents between a vampire that was three hundred years old and one that was fifteen hundred years old for example. Carlisle noticed my confound state and continued.

"As you know vampires are unable to change physically much because we are frozen at whatever age the transformation occurs. However, one can determine the difference between a century old vampire and a millennia old vampire by the fairness of their complexions. Aro and his brother's physical likeness are much paler in comparison to yours or mine because they have seen the lifespan of three millennia."

I absorbed Carlisle's wisdom and took it with me into the past four days ago when we at first saw her and I noticed how pale she was in comparison with us. Perhaps this instinctual feeling of mine was leading me down the right path. But… there was something else that was bothering me now thinking about Carlisle's words about Aro's physical complexion, and hers.

"Carlisle could you do me a favor? Imagine Aro in your mind please. It would help if you could invoke a picture of what he looked like after he fed." Carlisle's eyes narrowed suspiciously. I think he realized that I knew something he didn't. He nodded and closed his eyes.

Carlisle's mind became completely blank and was filled with blackness. Then suddenly Aro appeared in his thoughts. His pale likeness was surrounded by his long and jet black hair. Aro was pale in comparison to us and his eyes were a bright crimson color after a good…meal. Carlisle did well but now he would have to conjure something else too.

"Thank you Carlisle. Now, keep that image of Aro and please summon up the memory of _her _and compare it to Aro. Please." Carlisle nodded slowly as he formed his thoughts.

Her face appeared in his mind and formed right next to Aro's. Carlisle's eyes popped open wide immediately only after a fraction of a second, and the images disappeared and were replaced by bewildered thoughts.

"So you call a three thousand year old vampire like Aro an ancient because of his fair skinned nature. What would you call a vampire that was much paler than Aro then?"

I was right! My earlier suspicions had been confirmed. When Carlisle was _terraforming_ his thoughts and brought the needed images to light he immediately noticed the difference between the two. She was much paler than Aro and her eyes were much darker as well. On that however I could not create an appropriate hypothesis since it only appeared that she was underfed.

"It's not possible. Aro and his brothers have searched the world for the ancient vampire elders that lived millennia before even they did. I understand that the world is a rather large place but he sent out dozens of agents into all directions to seek out those old ones. The best they could find were vampires that are almost the same age as them such as my Egyptian friend Amun…" Carlisle was ready to continue denying the obvious when suddenly he stopped and a new memory entered his thoughts.

_Two of the agents that Aro sent out centuries ago never returned… That could explain why he is still so bound on discovering the identities of vampires older than him. They're a threat to him and his rule. _He was contemplating his own truths.

"Don't you think it's a little suspicious that two of his guard never returned with the information he sought? I know that the Volturi guard is loyal to their master much due to the fact that Chelsea keeps some of them that way with her emotional straps. But don't you think it's a little strange that they never returned after being ordered to inquire about those old ones?" Carlisle circled his thumb with his index finger nervously and was deep in thought. He shook his head.

"They could have been exterminated by others of our kind Edward. Some vampires are very aggressive in nature and seek fights for no apparent reason."

"CARLISLE! You just saw in your mind what others might not have seen in centuries or even millennia. There is a vampire out there right now with complexions that would even put Aro, Marcus, and Caius to shame. Could it not be possible that very few somehow survived the wars, and the long span of eons and simply stayed hidden and away from the Volturi? You know what Aro would do if he'd found one of them. He would do the same thing to them that he did to his own creator, Aeolus." Carlisle was surprised by my rather loud and upset tone and I sensed that everything downstairs just became very quite.

Aeolus was an ancient vampire and the creator of Aro, Marcus, Caius and their wives with the exception of Didyme. Aro killed his immortal father with the help of Caius, their wife's and other guards because he knew that Aeolus was too powerful for him alone. Physical body color wasn't the only thing that changed about us. It appeared that after millennia of walking the cold road of immortality our strength and speed increased as well. Therefore, Aro would have been no match for his maker alone when he killed him in the fifth century A.D since Aeolus dated back to the ancient wars between Kemet and Greece in the fourth millennium B.C.E.

Carlisle rubbed his temples and exhaled defeated. There were parts of him that wanted to accept this new revelation but then there were also more skeptical parts that deemed all of this to be ludicrous.

"You once told me that Aro killed Aeolus because he was a traitor and wanted to destroy the Volturi but doesn't it make more sense now thinking that he killed him because Aeolus was more powerful, and would have ruled the Volturi instead of Aro?" Carlisle looked at me with a torn expression and glimmers of already profound knowledge in his eyes.

"But then again you already knew that didn't you Carlisle?" Carlisle released a dry laugh through his teeth and shook his head.

"I had always assumed that was the true reason but perhaps I was too distracted by Aro's apparent benevolence to truly ever embrace those reasons." It was good for Carlisle to finally also see the dark side of the Volturi rather than just their goodness of keeping our world in order and secret. I carefully placed my hands on the table still hiding my injured hand in the other.

"So why don't we now discuss the ancient old vampires rather than those of Aro's stature. Shall we?" Perhaps in the old tales lay the answers that I wanted concerning her.

"Not much is known about them apart from some abilities they had. Although we do have a considerable knowledge of the wars that erupted that long ago, and are pretty sure of what happened and how." I furrowed my brows by this new conclusion. So strength and speed weren't the only assets they gained over the years?

"What abilities?" I tried to imagine what sorts of abilities were possible other than their talents if they had any.

"There are no specific scripts concerning them and all those who remembered are now gone, supposedly. There are only whispers of abilities once more. However, there is one that Aro witnessed himself. It was an ability used by the ancients quite often during the wars. It was a way of gathering information without even the need of words or inquisitions. If I remember correctly it was called _venenum memoria._" It was latin. If my translation is correct then it meant something along the lines of poison or venom memory.

"The ancients would take and drink drops of venom from others in order to gain all their memories." I froze.

Oh God. My entrapped hand was being crushed by my other as I tensed up and remembered the confrontation in Port Angeles all too clearly. If what Carlisle said is correct than that would explain why she knew my name.

_Thank you. _Her victorious grin plastered itself all over my mind. But why? For what would…? How is that even possible? For me there was now no doubt whatsoever that the mysterious vampire we met was in fact an ancient of a world beyond memory.

Ironically enough... she took my memories.

(Authors Note) - In the next chapter will discuss the ancients a little more and Carlisle will speak about what he knows of the ancient wars. Please **Review. **


	8. Chapter 7

War of Wars

If it were a human hand then it would have been incinerated. My hand crushed the very essence out of my fingers when Carlisle divulged the shocking revelation that cleared one of the very first shrouds of darkness that surrounded _her. _Venenum Memoria. The ancients possessed the power to take memories from other vampires by drinking drops of their venom.

My entire being shook with anger. It was like an earthquake that erupted within me and released thousands of volcanoes screeching with rage, and ignited flares of madness. How could she? Why would she? How could someone infringe on ones privacy in such a manner. I couldn't even compare her violation to my own. What I did was unintentional. I did not have control over my mind reading capabilities. Even when the voices became loudest I always tried to block them out and keep them in the minds of those they belonged to without inquiring their secrets.

The most troubling of all thoughts occurred to me instantly after Carlisle revealed this ancient secret to me. Why? For what sick purpose would she need my memories? Carlisle said that the ancients used it to gather knowledge about their enemies but she and I were not enemies. The Cullens had done nothing as far as I knew that could have provoked her. Was knowledge about their adversaries the only thing the ancients gained from this?

"Edward what's wrong?" Carlisle's hand reached forward to touch my intertwined ones. From his touch I felt waves of anxiety. I still hadn't answered his fundamental questions of why I was in such a state of unrest. I had to tell him but it wasn't the right time just yet. I had to know more about the ancients and the wars. Perhaps they would have answers that he and I both sought. I ignored Carlisle's distress.

"For what exactly was venenum memoria used for Carlisle?" As I ignored Carlisle's worry he ignored my curiosity as well.

"Edward! What is the matter? Please tell me. I have never seen you like this before." I didn't think Carlisle would continue sharing his wisdom unless I'd give him some sort of compromise first. I could not share the crescent scar on my thumb until I had what I needed. If I showed it to him now he would not be calm enough to tell me the stories. I had to know first.

"Please Carlisle. I will tell you, I promise. However, I need for you to first answer my questions. Please!" I plead miserably. I felt my own eyes glistening like the eyes of a beggar. If I could I would have gotten on my own two knees pleading with him. Never in my life have I encountered anything let alone a woman that has left such an impact upon me, and would cause me to go to such extremes. Carlisle sighed debating whether or not to proceed. He was unsure about my promise. It wasn't that he didn't trust me but that I might choke when the moment to tell the tale arrived. He closed his eyes defeated sighing noticeably, and obviously defeated. He nodded. I had won. He returned to his seat behind the desk.

"Venenum Memoria. According to those who remember it was a method used by the ancient elders in order to gain information about their antagonists. They would collect vast amounts of knowledge regarding their opponent's whereabouts, their military strategic, the blueprints of the lands they occupied and much, much more."

Their surroundings then I suppose? Hmm… That concept actually almost fit in the category of sanity. I had no way of knowing whether or not she had ever been to these parts before but somehow to me it was the most logical explanation. I knew about all the secrets of the surrounding green forests of Forks and the mountain systems.

_Stay away from the mountains. _

The more I thought about it the more it started to make sense. There must have been a very good reason regarding her warning. She also commented on the day we first met that she had not saved us from the nomads we faced. Apparently there was something else native to these parts that caused her trouble. Although the only being that could cause harm to a vampire besides its own kind was a werewolf. But I knew from Carlisle's _just in case you run into one and werewolf 101 _lectures that they were not indigenous to these parts. Werewolves or Children of the Moon as they are often called do not wander into the depth of the western hemisphere. They always remained in Europe and numerous parts of Asia. Could it possibly be that _her_ reasons for being here refer to that of a hunt? I knew that after Caius' rendezvous with Fenrir the Volturi began hunting them to the very brink of extinction. Perhaps they fled the old world and came to the new? It was a good theory but still just a theory after all. I needed more. I needed to know more about the ancients.

"Carlisle, tell me, how did the ancient war between Egypt and Greece start?" It was a topic that Carlisle did not enjoy to discuss. The ancient feud was called the _War of Wars _that made the confrontation between the Volturi and the Romanians in 500 A.D seem like children fighting with plastic swords. It was an era that most vampires wished to forget and not recollect. Carlisle ran his hand through his blond hair nervously. He wished to rather not examine this headline but I needed the information. I could always read about it in the index of _Vampiro_ but I knew that Carlisle received the tale first hand from Aro. He had to tell me. He took a deep breath and sorted his thoughts into a single strain that would appropriately address each point one at a time.

"The wars began… with two vampires that should never have met; Sekhmet and Athena." Carlisle closed his eyes while the rest of his facial features became troubled and disgusted. He recalled a clear image of Aro sitting in his grand throne in Volterra sharing the story with him. He also remembered the horror on Aro's face when he began to distribute the knowledge.

"It was dark times Edward, very, very dark times. Eons of horrific history which those who remember the final blows attempt to unhinge from their eternal minds. Though no vampires survived to fully visualize, and retell the War of Wars it has left deep and extraordinary scars upon all our history. The vampires that walked the earth then were true monsters and I do not use that term lightly son. They were monsters not because of what they were but what they chose to be. Their abominable natures and lust for power, and dominion nearly drank the ancient world dry. They threw a vast shadow across the lands and covered the entire world in darkness. They were ruthless and without an ounce of humanity left within them. They did not care for camaraderie, friendship or love. They lived for only one true purpose and it was to dominate the earth and turn the days into eternal nights, metaphorically speaking of course.

These beasts did not only kill for survival and to feed the frenzy that was within them. They murdered hundreds even thousands of innocents for the mere joy it gave them. They believed themselves to be gods. They believed that humans were vermin and nothing but food. There was no respect for life, and certainly no respect for the fellow vampire. There was countless infighting using humans as shields and armor. Each day there was death, to humans and vampires. They believed in nothing and respected nothing but the pure taste of blood. They were savages and on the very verge of being the true definition and origin for demons."

Though the images were lost to our kind I saw the with ease identifiable terror in Carlisle's eyes as he spoke those evil words. They were ancient cannibal like savages that lived for nothing but the taste of blood and dominion over each other, and humanity.

"For a time in our history the Nile did run red as blood because there was nothing that mattered above anything else than blood. It is only conceivable of course that these monsters had something like an overlord, and that they did. Sekhmet!

She lived her life as a queen. No, more than that. She lived like a god and expected humans and vampires to worship her as such. The ignorant fools that existed then of course did so without question. Sekhmet was beautiful, very beautiful and also possessed the attributes of a god; beauty, strength, stamina, speed, and everything else that defines our kind. Above all else she was capable of granting immortality or godhood as it was known then. When she flew across the lands like a scavenger and destroyed, and left flames in her presence she became the true deity of slaughter. Everything her shadow touched decayed and left pillars of salt in her path. All those that stood against her were slaughtered so horribly that her actions even repulsed her own kind. The Volturi themselves shiver in the presence of her name. She created countless amounts of immortals to build an army that would be large enough to scale a fully fledged attack upon every single vampire coven, army, or family upon this good earth.

She was intoxicated by the very thought of being a god and to be worshipped by millions of followers. Sekhmet has often been described by our kind to be the most evil entity that every walked the earth Edward.

Her crimes were so terrible that even the Volturi and other ancients that survived these wars but eventually faded almost never referred to them, and not even wished to truly remember. The way she slaughtered humans and vampires was unspeakable and would make torments of hell seem like a walk through an amusement park. There is only ever one specific mention of how she slaughtered one of her greatest adversaries. That was Odin."

I felt a cold chill travel down my spine as I tried to imagine the horror that was Sekhmet. Her crimes were so terrible that vampires tried to forget? It was difficult to imagine that there once existed such an evil being.

"During the time of Sekhmet's rule over Kemet or Egypt as it is known now there still was hope that lay towards the north. The hope consisted of vampire covens that ruled over Midgard; Europe. Those vampires were entirely different from the ones that governed Egypt. They were kind and preserved respect for their prey. They were capable of developing true bonds of love, and fellowship. However, soon enough the darkness thrown by Sekhmet eventually reached their lands as well. Foreign vampires began to enter their territories and started to ravage amongst the humans and turned them as they pilfered through the lands that belonged to the sons and daughters of Midgard.

The ancients of those lands would not allow it however and went to war with them. Many battles that were fought turned in favor for the ancient Europeans since their battle skills relied on strategy, and true control over their immortal abilities. They did not fight ignorantly like the Egyptians of that era who relied on the sense of the obvious kill alone. They were outmatched by the supreme power of the forces that belonged to the chief of the vampires in Midgard, Odin. He was a great warrior whose name and legend is still described in human myth today. Unfortunately it was tainted by the passing of the millennia and humans putting their own spin on things.

As I said, the Egyptians did not stand a chance against the overwhelming abilities of those who came from the north. Eventually, Odin and his loyal legion of immortals were victorious, and drove them from their lands and isolated the Egyptians back into Kemet. Odin was a proud warrior who at the time of the war had seen as many centuries as Sekhmet. They both would have been evenly matched if it hadn't been for Sekhmet's deceitful ways."

I leaned forward and absorbed every single vivid detail that presented itself in the edges of Carlisle's words. Though most of the war consumed a large portion of the world it was relieving to know that there was still a ray of hope that illuminated the night when it seemed the darkest. It was comforting knowing that there were once peaceful vampire's life ages ago who seemed to have left their imprint on our world in a good way.

"Odin's reign however was soon to be ended. When Sekhmet received news that the northern winds had carried to her and when she learned of the failure of her advances she murdered every single vampire that retreated back towards Egypt instead of staying and fighting till death. It was false honor. Legends rumored that every vampire who failed her she had decapitated and their heads decorated her ancient palace halls. They were symbols and reminders of what would become of those who failed her. Monstrous.

Sekhmet was no fool however. She knew that the children of Midgard could not be defeated on their own grounds and she had to device a way to lure them into the dessert. The slaughtered vampires were replaced easily by the caged humans who were nothing but dirt beneath her feet. It was said that their screams of agony could be heard even as far north as ancient Europe. She replaced her fallen soldiers easily and even carried out orders to gather more humans from the entire African continent. Soon she had an army that was large enough to launch a full scale attack on Midgard. This was not her intention though. She was very sadistic and enjoyed to see her enemy vampires crumble beneath her feet before she and her followers would slash them to a point where not even their venom could regenerate them.

There was a reason why Sekhmet did not allow love or companionship. She knew that attachment was a weakness. It is the very reason why she turned her offspring so cold that the chilly winds of Antarctica would seem nothing but a cool summer's breeze. She had to be sure that they would fight until death and in the most diabolical way possible. It is sad to think that love was Odin's greatest weakness, and eventually his downfall. Sekhmet herself journeyed to the lands of Midgard and to the mountains of Asgard that were the home of those ancient vampires. All by herself she overcame and took down the soldiers that threw themselves in her path and managed to acquire the object of her mission. It was Frigg, the wife of Odin. It was because of the love they shared that Odin died in such a horrible way."

It was unthinkable. Sekhmet used the most powerful element in the world, love, and forged it into a weapon of war. Though Carlisle hadn't ventured ahead any further I could very well imagine what happened.

"Frigg didn't stand a chance against Sekhmet who kidnapped her to Kemet. Odin was furious and became obsessed with creating a passage that would return his beloved queen back to him. Frigg was nothing but leverage to Sekhmet, a tool of war. She threatened Odin with the death of his beloved wife unless he'd bow to her. Odin's loyal followers such as Thor, Freyr, Heimdallr, and even Loki tried to convince him that Frigg was lost, and that he could not risk countless immortal lives for but one being. Odin however became empty and a shadow of what he once was and stated that he would pilgrimage to Kemet alone and do whatever was necessary to retrieve his soul mate. The other vampire's loyal him could not accept such a fate for their beloved ruler however. They followed Odin blindly. They knew that they were walking towards their death but I believe that at the same time they realized that it would only be a matter of time before Sekhmet would rule a legion of vampires that would eventually destroy them, and their ways.

The lands of Midgard emptied as every single vampire followed Odin into the evil land that was shrowded in darkness and where the smell of blood, and venom was most noticeable. I do not believe that they only followed to support their leader but also with every intention to free Frigg. She was a most beloved vampire who was a true mother to all beings that sought shelter, and love. Many on the other hand believed Odin to be a fool for risking the entire vampire domain of Midgard for one woman. But also they knew that it would have been only a matter of time before they too would have been destroyed.

Odin and his army arrived in Kemet during nightfall and to a cloudless sky and a full moon that shone high in the dark abyss over the lands. They arrived in the Sahara desert not long after departing their beloved home and the mountains of Asgard. The vast desert housed Sekhmet's palace that was alit with torches of blazing fires that made the night like day. When they arrived they discovered to their shock that Sekhmet's army was twice the size they had originally believed it to be. It was irrevocably clear that they all would lose their lives. However, if they were going to die then it would be with honor. They would die with such and end that would forever immortalize the power of Midgard, and the nobility and goodness of the vampires that once thrived there.

For Odin the scene before him was one of dread. There was a selected pathway that lead a mile down the sand dunes and ended directly before the golden stairs that advanced up to Sekhmet's palace. The pathway was layered with torches on either side that lit the way towards their doom."

What a sad ending to such proud warriors. Odin's love for his mate was so deep that he would risk everything just to recapture her and rekindle the fire that had been extinguished after Sekhmet took her. I knew that I would not like the ending of this.

"Odin along with his army proceeded down the hills and followed the wide path. They looked upon Sekhmet's palace that was forged from pure gold and was in fact a pyramid. It was a monument to the power of Sekhmet and was to be a terrible remainder of who the vampire was that drank the lands of Egypt dry of blood.

Odin and his followers were welcomed by a multitude of vampires that must have consisted of hundreds if not rivaling the margin of one thousand. They were severely outnumbered. They walked down the sandy path and were growled at and hissed at. Some vampires even dared to spit at them and clawed at them through the torched fence. Thor after Odin was the commander of the Midgard army and with all his might tried to keep his soldiers at bay. The deliberate path let to the foot of the golden stairs that lead up to a platform on which Odin gazed upon the terror striking face of his wife, Frigg. Next to her he saw evil incarnate.

Sekhmet stood atop next to Frigg of the golden stairs with a brilliant and dark smile covering her features. Through Sekhmet's teeth erupted sadistic laughter that consumed the entire atmosphere of the valley and the surrounding desert, and filled them with an apocalyptic mood. Frigg was being held back by two others of the vampire queens children, and her eyes were filled with sorrow and despair as she prophesized the end that was coming. She was much like the ill fated Cassandra in that matter. Like Alice she also possessed the power to see the future and saw the end of the proud vampires of Midgard. Her visions unfortunately could not save her from being abducted nor show her resulting in being the reason why her honorable people would meet their end in Kemet.

_Do you wish your mates safe passage? _Her words were pure venom and covered with the blood of the innocent. Odin of course whished nothing more but the price that Sekhmet asked for was steep. She wanted command of the entire Midgard army. Vicious snarls exploded from Odin's soldiers and even from their commander Thor himself. Odin's face was grim and his entire being shook with nothing but sadness and blame for what he had done. Though his next words surprised even Sekhmet and brought whimpers to the soldiers of his army.

_Forever in a day I have lived. I have seen the white shores that lie behind the moon, sun, and the endless sparkles of lights above. I am the pride. I am the power. I am the servant of Midgard and his holy lands. Eternally will I marvel at the beauty that this world has offered me for such a long time, and forever will I weep for what you plan to do. You will never command this world, and you will most certainly never claim lordship over Mother Nature. You are nothing but an insect to her. You may destroy me but you will never destroy the essence that lies beneath this meaningless corporal form. I will become a fierce wind and blow through every leave, every tree, and every living being and become one with the soul of our world. I will sob a million tears for what you will do to the one whom I have shared so many wonders with but in the end I cannot bear to see the free spirits of my friends dipped in darkness, and be consumed with your evil._

Odin's words made Sekhmet's lips quiver with anger. They say that through her teeth she spat her venom in his face like a serpent and called him an impudent fool for disobeying her demands. Odin didn't flinch by her words or her fluid. His eyes rested solely upon his beloved Frigg who looked upon him with compassionate eyes and pride. Odin's glance looked old and defeated. There was nothing left within him now. He was ready, and accepted death as punishment for bringing his people to their doom.

Odin reached out his hand with shaking fingers and wished nothing more than to touch the face of his love one last time. They say that not just his fingers shook but his entire body. Dry sobs began to escape through this throat as he knew that it would be the last time he would see her. One of the guards that held Frigg back released his hold on her when Sekhmet motioned him to retreat back. Frigg breathed shocked but relieved and focused her eyes on her conqueror. Sekhmet's expression was blank and an empty void that showed the soul of a woman who had no sympathetic emotions and no love within her.

A final smile covered Frigg's face when she reached out her free hand to Odin. Odin eagerly climbed the steps and reached out his own hand until their fingers were but inches from another. Then…"

Carlisle sank in his chair and closed his eyes attempting not to create a visual in his thoughts of what happened next. It was obvious to me. Odin and Frigg's love ended.

"Then… suddenly Sekhmet took position behind Frigg and pierced her through the back with her arm until her claws dug their way through her chest, and her fingers were now the ones touching Odin's instead of Frigg's. A loud and despairing screech catapulted from behind Odin's lips as he saw the love of his eternity fade away into memory. Frigg quivered in silent pain as Sekhmet chuckled evilly. She withdrew her arm through Frigg's body and like lightning snapped her neck causing her to be decapitated. Frigg's body jerked as venom and blood convulsed from her neck. Her body fell to the ground and tumbled down the stairs until it rested before the feet of Thor, Loki, and all the other proud soldiers of Midgard.

Odin was immobilized. Sekhmet stood before him smiling and holding the head of his beloved wife.

_One last kiss perhaps? _After this assessment Sekhmet's army showered with mocking laughs. They pointed their fingers at Odin and made ill conceived remarks and spat at his soldiers who like Odin were overcome with grief by the death of their adored queen.

Sekhmet tossed the decapitated head of Frigg behind her and let it fall into a sarcophagus of fire. Frigg was gone.

It was done and she had conceived her goal. She had broken Odin's spirit and took away his reason for being. Her cruelty and evil knew no bound and it was not long before Odin joined his beloved Frigg. From beneath her white veil like robes she retrieved an athame. The athame had a golden grip with a dark ruby encrusted in its center. The blade was a very light blue with strange markings engraved in its spine, and vampires still do not know what metal could pierce the stone hard skin of our kind but indeed it did. It flew forward and broke through Odin's neck before Sekhmet sliced and decapitated him as well. Odin's body twitched and fell down the golden stairs of the palace to land next to Frigg's while their lifeless hands were touching.

The breaths of Odin's army came to an entire halt as they witnessed the death of their proud leader. Many of them crumbled to their knees and became paralyzed with shock, and froze to become living statues. Thor himself had to look upon Odin's head as it dangled in Sekhmet's hand."

I shook my head vigorously. How can such cruelty exist even for a vampire? What sort of metal could even penetrate our marble bodies? It mattered not. I now knew exactly why Carlisle always refrained from wanting to tell us the stories of the wars. They were made of pure evil.

"What happened next sickens me to my very core and is by far the tip of this very large iceberg. Sekhmet lifted Odin's decapitated head over her own and allowed the drips of venom and blood to fall upon her countenance. Her tongue tasted the cold night air and hungered and searched for drops of Odin's elixir of life, both of them. Soon enough her entire face was covered and she ran her hand over her olive skinned complexion and smeared until her entire face was painted in Odin's mixture of blood and venom. She was the most sadistic and evil vampire to ever walk this earth Edward. In the end she had no interest in the army of Odin after all.

_Kill them. _So many of them fell easily after having their spirits and courage shattered by the gruesome death of Odin while others still fought valiantly but were easily outnumbered by Sekhmet's forces. They all disappeared into memory but were truly immortalized by humanity. If vampires speak of the wars then they speak of nothing but the proud soldiers of Midgard who fought until the very end until the very last vampire stood. They battled and died together."

I was overcome with grief. Who knew that such honor existed and slumbered within our kind? The most incredible fact though was that they accepted death whilst they marched to their very doom in order to protect the rivers, the meadows, and the people of Midgard. This I would forever remember.

"But what about Athena?" This story was sad and terrible but there was no trace of this Athena who was Sekhmet's true equal. He said that the War of Wars was fought between Egypt and Greece, and not between Egypt and Europe.

"This was only the prologue to the story to come Edward. These events are nothing compared to what else I am about to tell you. The true war did not begin until the two entities that should never have met, met."

Nothing compared for what was about to come? My God. I had truly underestimated the ancient wars. Unfortunately though they did not have any clues regarding _her_, and unveiled nothing that I wanted to know. Still, I believed that this history was something that I should know. I took a deep breath preparing for the other horror that was about to come.

"Please Carlisle, continue." Carlisle looked tired as if the tale and tragedy of Midgard had exhausted him. He held up his hand motioning me to be patient.

"Give me a moment. We are about to travel much deeper into the darkness."

(Authors Note) – I hope you guys aren't bored by this history but it is vital to the story. If it wasn't then I wouldn't even bother. It's also important for explaining Bella's background story later. Please **review** once your finished reading. Both negative and positive reviews are welcome.


	9. Chapter 8

Mark of the gods

Carlisle sat back in his office chair rubbing the sides of his temples. Telling the horrific tales of nearly forgotten wars of our kind seemed to take its toll on him. The attributes of the wars signified everything that he was against and repulsed by. It disgusted me as well. I never knew that our kind could be responsible for such evil deeds. The acts that Sekhmet committed against Odin and the other children of Midgard were unforgivable and hopefully she was burning in the vast blazes of hell now. I wondered though how she finally met her end. Was her rival Athena successful in killing her or was Sekhmet victorious and she met her doom some other way? She would have to be dead by now otherwise I'm sure humans would be well aware of the existence of vampires since she lived her life in the open.

I was hoping that the gruesome stories of the age old wars still might hold information pertaining to _her. _I for one was convinced that she was older than the Volturi although I couldn't begin to guess how old she truly was. In addition, venenum memoria if it was truly what she had used against me was proving enough of her advanced age. Carlisle was torn on the subject still. He was inquiring to know how such an ancient could have stayed in the shadows for so long. His mind also invoked other questions such as if she was truly from a world that now no one remembers then perhaps there were more of her kind as well. But it was strange indeed. If the ancients were as powerful as Carlisle claimed than why hide? The entire elite guard of the Volturi would be no match against them if Carlisle's descriptions were correct. Were they hiding from the Volturi or something else entirely?

"Edward, these stories really upset me and my nature rejects them completely. I know it sounds somewhat strange but my being simply cannot handle the intense emotions they ignite within me. I will tell you about Athena, and leave the story of the meeting between her and Sekhmet for later."

I grimaced. I was actually looking forward to hearing about the incredible power struggle of the wars and the history that glorified the evil that emerged from the darkness that both vampires spread. But I could see the weariness in Carlisle's eyes. His nature was completely positive and was repulsed by destruction, murder, and torture. I guess he also had the right to compromise. I nodded agreeing. He seemed relaxed by my posture.

"Athena. Humans have immortalized her in Greek mythology as the goddess of wisdom, civilization, strength, strategy, craft, justice, and skill. Every single one of her attributes very much roars war. She in fact was a warmonger. Athena was very cunning and enjoyed watching her enemies die a slow and painful death. It was because of her that werewolves rose to power during the fourth and third millennium B.C.E."

"How so?" This was the first time I ever heard that werewolves had any sort of power during some time in the world. They were wanderers, much like vampires and were very few in number even before Caius began hunting them to the brink of extinction. They were far too uncontrolled to form any sort alliances or armies consisting of themselves.

"She bred them."

" WHAT?" Unbelievable. Athena actually bred werewolves? For what sick and sadistic reason would any vampire wish to associate with them let alone breed them.

"I don't believe I ever covered this specific topic in my lectures about werewolves. However, as I have said, Athena very much enjoyed seeing her enemies suffer to a point where they would beg for death. This was the reason she captured a werewolf and allowed it to infect other humans. You need to understand Edward that werewolves have been described as the mortal enemy of vampires since the dawn of time. The feud between our two species isn't just disgust for one another but it even travels beneath our skins. Our species seems also to be at war at the cellular level.

The venom of vampires if injected into a werewolf has devastating effects. It will break down the werewolf's DNA and causes the destruction of the integrity of their cells. This process also works vise versa. The deadly venom of a werewolf causes a very slow and immensely painful death to a vampire. It has been described as the most gruesome and cruel way to torture and eventually murder our kind. The pain the werewolf venom can cause in our systems is said to be just as dreadful as the transformation procedure. It is for this very reason why Athena bred them."

I think I was able to draw out the difference between Athena and Sekhmet. Sekhmet was forward and repugnant while Athena seemed to be more cunning and sneaky. It was monstrous to think that she actually used werewolves to murder vampires in such a way.

"Athena was a very intelligent vampire. She not only used the venom of werewolves to kill her enemy she also used them as a front line during battle. She viewed them very much like pawns on a chess board. She would send them out against her enemies and weaken them and waited for the right time until her own followers could move in, and finish the job. She was very strategic in that sense.

Now, there was a very powerful difference between Athena and Sekhmet. Sekhmet who despised love and fellowship would not allow attachment for herself or her followers. However, Athena did have one thing that bound her to love. It was her son, Daedalus. It was he who bore the idea of using werewolves as pawns.

The legends described him to be a mixture of Sekhmet and Athena personality wise. He was as cruel as Sekhmet and deceitfully cunning like his mother. It was he who created the labyrinth of Fenrir on Crete. Human myth describes that it was a Minotaur that inhabited the labyrinth but it was in fact a very powerful werewolf. For a very long time vampires have searched for the maze but were unable to ever discover it. However, with the unearthing of Fenrir the Volturi believe that the maze might have existed or better yet still exists. Their searches have however always turned out empty."

Interesting! So the mythological labyrinth of Daedalus is real? Since there was a werewolf present in the maze I was sure that it was a place of punishment for vampires. I couldn't see any alternative reason for creating such a place. In myth Daedalus was described to be quite the engineer. Carlisle seemed to be nearly at the end of his strength.

"Athena was described as a very expressionless vampire with no emotions. She only every smiled when she saw her enemies beg for mercy. Even towards her son she showed no affection whatsoever. She was hollow. However, this did not stop her from nearly burning Greece and sinking it beneath the earth. Like Sekhmet, Athena had no respect for life and murdered humans in a way that made Sekhmet's attrocities seem have way decent. She would literally create a buffet. In her temple she housed a fairly long bronze table that could hold at least fifty vampires. The trays of the table consisted of a variety of different humans. There were men and women, and young children including infants. Their _dinners _were described as true acts of Satanism. Screaming, slashing, tearing, biting, eating sounds…"

Carlisle shivered and buried his face in his hands. I was sure that this was the end for tonight and if I wanted more I would have to either read it in the index or ask him some other time.

It was a shame however. Even though these stories sounded like they came straight from hell they were still fascinating in certain aspects. It was quite disturbing to think that monsters such as vampire's inspired mythological gods and heroes in human mythology. Who knew how many more rose to such a status.

Carlisle unburied his face and took a deep and cleansing breath before allowing a pleasant smile to reappear on his features. He sat back up in his chair and was prepared to hear why I was intrigued by the age old stories. I guess I would have to hold up my end of the bargain but there was still something I wanted to know before I'd let Carlisle in on the meeting with _her_.

"Tell me one more thing Carlisle. What happened to the ancients? You continuously claim that they died out or even faded from memory but I think that's ludicrous. We are immortals. How could such powerful entities… evaporate from time?"

Carlisle narrowed his eyes and glared at me amused. He thought that I was trying to draw out more time so I wouldn't have to honor the end of my bargain but I think he knew that I would. He began to suspect more and more that I knew information that he did not. However, his amused glaring suddenly fell and a sad expression started to travel across his complexion. It was like he hoped that I would never ask this question. He did! He breathed agonized by his thoughts that he hid well behind a wall of stone.

"They disappeared for the very reason why I always worry about you so much Edward. Not all vampires possess the stamina for immortality."

"Why?"

"We live forever, but sometimes some of us have nothing to live for. Many vampires lost their mates during the wars Edward. The relationships that we form between the ones that we love are more powerful than humans could ever imagine. When we love, we love hard. It is a bond that can be sustained throughout endless millennia. When that reason gets lost or dies than it will feel like there is nothing left to live for. I know through my observations of Marcus. I told you how Aro's ancient brother Marcus lost his wife Didyme. He has been a hollow man ever since her death, and there is no live left within him.

Our kind generally has a better understanding with the dealings of their reservations and the emotional distress that emanates from it when they have someone by their side. Since you never had someone that you could share a deeper bond with than us it must still be more difficult for you to accept these terms. Even more so than Rosalie, although you do an excellent job of hiding your feelings for the majority of the time."

Oh enough already. Carlisle always held the ability to see right through me to my very annoyance but his worry although with the best attentions in mind was completely unnecessary. I couldn't even picture myself with someone in that way. I never was able to.

"After the wars were over many ancients sought out others of their kind and provoked them in order to summon violent results that lead to their deaths. I don't believe that there was a single vampire coven that was not affected by the wars. Many lost a great deal during those times and gave up on immortality after their stamina's were depleted. I myself cannot imagine living for thousands of years. Although I very much could, knowing that Esme and my family will forever be by my side."

Could I live forever? Would I one day look back to this moment once three or four thousand years have passed? The thought of living for countless eras was…displeasing. One hundred and nine years were bad enough but to go through it for so many more years? Maybe Carlisle had a reason to worry after all. Besides my family there was nothing for me here, only death. It was nauseating to think about it. Countless sunrises, lunar eclipses, and the eternal thought that one will be forever immortal. The mood in the office became quite unpleasant. The thought how hard Esme and Carlisle would take it if I wouldn't be here about five hundred years from now was harassing. Sometimes it seemed like I was already at the end of my strength. I was already dead so all that remained of me for the moment was my mind. Perhaps one day it would fade away as well.

"So. Might I now know why you asked me to tell you all of this? I'm curious what sprung your sudden interest for vampire history." Carlisle crossed his arms expectantly. He seemed like a child who did a job well done and was now waiting for his reward.

How should I start? I promised I would tell him so there was no way out it. I was a man of my word. Maybe it would be best just to show him. My wounded hand which was covered by other hadn't moved ever since he began speaking about the old tales. I exhaled sharply and was somewhat nervous but… here went nothing.

I freed my hand and pointed the surface of my thumb directly at him. His expression was beyond anything I imagined. Carlisle's smile immediately disappeared as he took notice of my scar. His arms uncrossed instantaneously and gripped the sides of his chair, and his eyes seemed prepared to pop out at any moment.

_THE MARK OF THE GODS!_

The what?

In what seemed like not even a fraction of a second Carlisle had literally jumped over his desk and stood next to me encircling my hand in his. I got to my feet to allow him a better look at my wound. Both of his thumbs lined the sides of my own as his index finger slowly and carefully examined the surface and traced the lines of my crescent shaped scar. His expression was almost that of someone who had just seen a ghost. I saw the pupils of his eyes move in synchronization with the movements of his finger. He began shaking his head slowly and kept thinking to himself _the mark of the gods, the mark of the gods. _He exhaled with whimpering lips continuing shaking his head.

"Edward what happened to you?" I frowned when half way through his question I could hear four distinct pairs of feet making their way upstairs and one rounding the corners from Alice's room. Is there any privacy in this house? Suddenly there was a constant knock on Carlisle's office door that wouldn't stop until Carlisle finally told them to come in. Alice was the first to enter followed by Esme, my brothers, and then Rosalie marching in annoyed.

Alice joined Carlisle's side and saw my defect at which point her jaw dropped. Esme looked in-between Carlisle and Alice while Jasper and Emmett looked at it over my shoulder. I felt like an artifact at the museum of natural history.

"Well Carlisle, it's in my opinion anyway, a long story."

"Start from the beginning."

So I told them. I told them how I was on a routine mission to collect Esme's books when a most soothing and calming perfume caught my attention and my feet on their own accord started to follow it. They all seemed amused by the fact that I couldn't help myself but to follow the scent, like a dog unwillingly trying to find the dog whistle that's been blown. The thought of that alone infuriated me. The amusement faded though when I finally described how she appeared from out of nowhere. Her scent had come to a complete stop and not one of my superior senses could preemptively alert me to her presence until finally she just stood behind me. The mood in the room grew grimmer when I spoke of how I was absolutely paralyzed and was unable to move even one inch during the entire confrontation.

Carlisle thought it to be impossible. The others were astounded by my lack of defense and the ease in which she took what she wanted. When I began to talk about the process that I now knew was known as venenum memoria Carlisle's thoughts were finally illuminated to why I was interested in the ancient wars and the ancients themselves. I tried with the best of my abilities to describe the feeling of having drops of our venom slowly leaving the body and the violated feeling that accompanied those emotions.

Alice was in distress. She was on the verge of a mental breakdown of how she was unable to detect any of these events. The thing that disturbed her the most was the fact that _she _stayed almost completely of her radar.

Jasper was disgusted. The wars that he had to endure were nothing compared to the millennia raging war of the ancients yet still he was repulsed by the idea of drinking another vampire's venom. Esme had no thoughts to give. She didn't know what to think except that it was her fault. If she hadn't asked me to run to Port Angeles for her to obtain her books then there would be no scar on my thumb now. Rosalie tried to ignore our circle, and was still angry with me. Although, she was just as bad as me when it came to the element of curiosity, and had an array of questions herself concerning the vampire that I believed to be an ancient.

Emmett… Emmett… Sometimes I believed that his name said it all. There was only one thing he thought about the whole thing.

_"Hehehehe… Kinky." _

I turned around and threw him a dark look. He raised his brows innocently. Just wait I thought, just wait until one day when I'll get you.

Carlisle's thoughts were complied of a plethora amount of theories that began to form as soon as I began telling the story. He examined my thumb carefully and began thinking purposely about his earlier thoughts. I think he didn't want anybody else to hear this part.

_"The mark of the gods was a scar that few vampires possessed throughout the vast span of millennia. The scar is a symbol of the past and represents the age old wars. It reveals the presence, and the power of the ancients. Vampires used to believe that those who walked with the scar were under the protection of the faded ones themselves. At a later point it was discovered that that particular thought wasn't all too untrue. Aeolus himself marked Aro with this scar and took his memories in the process. Unfortunately it was not early enough to detect Aro's betrayal if Edward was right on that account. He marked Aro in order to establish protection over the entire coven he created. It was very much like branding a seal on an animal and claiming lordship over it. Though I don't believe that intend is meant in that particular respect."_

The ancients used venenum memoria to establish protection over covens? But there weren't any other vampires in these parts. Furthermore, I could see how the symbol could have been used millennia ago but in this day in age? The wars ended over three thousand years ago and the ancient ways of the old ones were but forgotten. I planned to ignore this small bit of information regarding the protection of a coven. Her response after taking my venom to me indicated that she thanked me for my memories. I would kill to know why she took them in the first place.

Carlisle released my hand and walked over to the window overseeing the river and folded his hands behind his back, deep in thought.

"If you ask me I think the next time we meet her if we even do we should perceive her as a threat. She already attacked Edward. Who is to say that she won't do it again? In addition, because of Edward's telepathy she doesn't just know everything about him but also about the rest of us. Who's to say she isn't gathering facts about us for some unknown reason and plans…" Jaspers ramble was interrupted by Carlisle's almost angry voice.

"Enough!"

None of us had ever heard him take such a tone. He was marveling at the dark blue river in the darkness of the night. His mind was already made up, and came to a decision concerning the unintentional relationship to our foreign guest. He turned around with a hard face, and his golden eyes were almost as piercing as her dark rubies were.

"All of you listen to me now. If over any amount of time you should meet our guest again I want you to back out of the environment and run. If you see her from a distance, run. If you detect her scent then turn the other way."

"But Carlisle…" I tried to protest. If I couldn't commune with her than I would never get the answers I so desperately sought.

"No! You have no idea what you are dealing with. None of you have seen the fear in Aro's eyes when he described those that came long before he did. The things we do know about the ancient's gives us reason for concern, while the things that remain to be unknown frighten us even more. The last thing we want to do is invoke the wrath of one of them. If she truly is one of them then she comes to us from a very dark place in time. We are dealing with a thousand of years old instinct that cannot be swayed and in most cases not even reasoned with. We do not want to provoke nor offend her. It might just be the last thing we ever do."

Emmett and Jasper were doubtful about Carlisle's order. Seven against one, she wouldn't last very long. They were being immensely ignorant. We didn't know how powerful vampires became after the years and in addition we were blind to how old she truly was. Who knew what else she was capable of? I didn't want to follow Carlisle's advice. I wanted to meet her again and shed light upon my confusion.

"I will only say this once more. I forbid you to associate with her in any way. We are dealing with a creature that is beyond our understanding." Carlisle was persistent and wanted to get his point across. Emmett began to argue his point however.

"Oh come on Carlisle. There is seven of us and one of her. What could she possible do or try to accomplish here?" He was by far way to overconfident. Carlisle furrowed his brows and was now almost angry.

"It took Aro, Caius, their wife's, and three of the elite guard to bring down their ancient maker Aeolus. They are also much more skilled than we are. You don't seem to understand the seriousness of this situation Emmett."

Emmett remained silent. He wasn't going to argue much more. He said what he needed and was turned down easily by Carlisle. The lack of visions Alice received concerning her was troublesome as well. How much longer would I have to wait until I got what I wanted? Why couldn't I go out and meet her. Why not let me search every single field, climb every tree, and look beneath every rock to look for her. My curiosity was overflowing. I needed cups of answers that could lessen the amount.

"Once more, I advice caution to us all." And with that, Carlisle ended the discussion.

Although this, was far from over.

(Authors Note) - Next chapter will meet Bella again. Kinda feels like not Twilight if she isn't in almost every chapter ;-)!


	10. Chapter 9

Melody

I couldn't stop thinking about it. The more the questions and mysteries surrounding her infected me the more I wanted to ravage the forests and mountains to look for her. Was she still here? Had she already moved on to a new place? Who was she and what was her true purpose? All the answers I thought I knew were but assumptions and theories. There was nothing that was set in stone. I hated not knowing. I had a right to know after what she did to me. The mere thought that my memories were swarming around in the mind of someone else was…frightening. My deepest secrets, the most private of moments, and all the memories of my family that I had seen in their minds now belonged to her.

Three days had passed since Carlisle's warning. I had never seen him so nervous before. The revelation that we might be dealing with someone who was believed to be extinct brought out great distress and plaguing images of Carlisle, and revealed a harder side of him. He spent hours in his study rereading the index that I knew he had already committed to memory. He searched every page concerning the ancients. He became obsessed with finding out everything known to vampire kind and preparing for another encounter if there should be one. The ancients weren't like other vampires. Their mere survival over the many ages demanded the respect from the vampire realm unconditionally.

I noticed myself however that for once there were other questions arousing themselves within me that weren't as taunting and annoying. These questions grabbed my fascination. What had she seen if she were who we believed her to be? Nero's day? The rise of Rome? Was she around when Ramses the I ruled? Did she witness the horrors of the ancient vampire wars? How deep did it go? It tormented me to think that Carlisle forbade us to look for answers and put the truth even farther out of reach than it had been before.

"Stop whining and brooding already." Alice was just as tortured as I was; although I wasn't irritating her as much as she was me.

We were back in school, joy. It was lunch time and I had made it through my first two courses without any difficulty. I allowed my mind to be consumed with _her_, and all the questions that followed. The minutes seemed to decay in a much faster ratio that way. I must have come up with dozens of scenarios and explanations but none of them truly matched to what I wanted to know.

"I'm not whining. If anyone can be accused of whining that it would be you." I spat the statement at her. Alice's vision was clear again. She could see everything just like she could before. The mysterious fluctuations in her sight had disappeared just as soon as they came. She was still uneasy and most of the time was always far in the future. Like me, she was seeking out answers as well. At one point she had actually hoped to see the dark vibrations again because it would mean that we'd meet with _her_ again. Alice generally believed that she was the cause for all her headaches. A vampire who is so unpredictable that not even her far future was certain. However, to Alice's and my disappointment the future was just like it used to be. Out of control and untamed, and there was nothing certain.

"Would you two give it a rest already? You've been at it for days." Rosalie still held a grudge and I haven't decided to apologize yet.

"We've been at it for days because the more time progresses the more infuriating the past scenes become Rose." Alice was right.

"So what? Can't you two just get over it? Is there an absolute need to know everything at any given time? Besides, she's probably already long gone by now. The most interesting thing in these parts is if the sun comes out for more than two days in a week."

"Aren't you interested to know at all why she was here? Don't you want to know why she assaulted Edward against his will and took his venom? Come on Rosalie. You can't tell me that you're not interested one little bit. There is too much confusion that needs clearing up. I for one would love to know everything." Alice's debate was good. Rosalie didn't want to show it but she was very keen on finding out as much as everyone else wanted.

"It doesn't matter now anyway. She's probably already gone. She stayed hidden for a long time Alice and even eluded the Volturi. What makes you think we would even find her? Talking about this is just a waste of everyone's time."

I took a swift glance around the cafeteria to make sure that nobody caught wind of our conversation. Venom and Volturi are words that we shouldn't even be using here. The lunch room was unchanged however. Teenagers talking about their favorite soap operas, upcoming football games, and the endless female gossip about who was the most prominent and handsome young man in the school.

"Well I for one think that she would discuss it further" Jasper finally intervened with a thought that had Carlisle and me in an uproar as well. "It has been a week since we've hunted. One more and we'll be going out again. Of course we could just go off to Oregon or California for some carnivore snacks but I for one plan on staying here when the time comes. We shouldn't be afraid to use our own lands for hunting just because there might be a danger lurking in the forests. We don't even know if she spoke the truth. I for one am not intimidated by her."

Everyone except me silently nodded to themselves when Jasper brought light to the hunting subject. I wasn't thirsty yet. My mouth however was in the process of becoming dryer as the days went by. Soon the monster would want more of the delicious elixir that it so hungrily craved. We couldn't hold out on our thirst neither, especially not with the lives that we had. Being around humans meant that we could never drive ourselves to a point in which we would be vulnerable and weak enough to attack one of them, and it meant that we had to keep ourselves well nourished if we wanted to sustain this life style.

The bell rang and ended our plotting. I looked at my tray and all the food that would go to waste. There were broken down bits of carrots and a small opened carton of milk that I never took a sip out off, and torn pieces of pizza that I brought to my mouth several time for show but then discarded back onto the tray. This was indeed growing most tiresome.

My next two classes past rather fast too which surprised me even more. It was strange but somehow the discomfort that she caused within me was helping. I couldn't focus on anything but it and many times it trapped me within the barriers of my own head trying to find conclusions. While I did so the hours seemed to simply fly by. Not even the petty thoughts of other students around me seemed to bother me as much anymore. At times I swore that I couldn't hear them at all.

When everyone gathered in the Volvo after school was over I sped down on the open road back home. I had a mission tonight. I had to go to town and pick up my tuxedo from the dry cleaners. Carlisle's small banquet at the hospital was coming up in two days and we were all invited. Esme's hard work shouldn't go to waist either after all, and we had to hire a deliver guy to bring the mountains of baked cinnamon rolls down to the hospital. His face when he saw all the baskets and trays consisting of the sweet goods was hilarious to all of us. He thought he had made a wrong turn and came to bakery instead. It was even funnier when his mouth began to water and turned beat red when Esme handed him one of the rolls, and tripled his heart beat with her beautiful smile.

"What do you guys think it would be like anyway? I mean to have lived for thousands of years like Aro?" Emmett tried to lighten the mood.

"Well first you have to able to imagine it. I for one can't. Maybe once I get there I'll be able to give you a better answer." Alice chuckled.

"Yeah. Maybe once we're the ancients we can go around and confound vampire communities and attack helpless little vamps like Edward here; weather permitted." Emmett's booming laugh rocked the car. Rosalie joined in as well but she only did so to get back at me. Jasper smiled brilliantly at Emmett's joke. I didn't think this was funny so far.

"What was with that ridiculous behavior of hers anyway? I mean she acted more like a newborn than anything else." Jasper tried to joke along with Emmett but as usual it wasn't long before he turned on Jasper.

"At least she wasn't making fun of my microscopic endowments." He snickered at Jasper whose lips pursed and the shadows beneath his amber orbs darkened.

"HEY! Jazz has nothing to be ashamed about. At least he can hold a note." I can't believe they were actually talking about this. Alice came to Jaspers defense immediately with some verbal abuse of her own.

"What do you know about my notes? Have you ever heard me doing soprano when Edward plays the piano." Rosalie shook her head embarrassed while Jazz and Alice combusted with laughter. I chuckled to myself too. Fortunately Emmett wasn't serious and only used ignorance as a form of humor. I had to admit that it did get me into a better mood.

The drive home as always didn't take long and before no time at all had passed I pulled in the driveway. I dragged behind the others as they hastily entered the house. I heard Esme humming a tune to herself out back in the gardens. Carlisle was still at work and prepping with the other doctors for the banquet. I figured I'd give it two or so hours before I would go and retrieve my tux from the cleaners. I picked up my pace and hurried upstairs to my room. Jasper and Emmett were going to continue their silly Play Station game in which for once Emmett was victorious and it was Jasper demanding a rematch. Rosalie went to watch them while Alice danced outback to assist Esme.

When I rounded the corner to my room I came to a sudden stop. I looked down the corridor leading to Carlisle and Esme's rooms and Carlisle's study. There was a faint aroma though I couldn't put my finger on it to what it was. It was definitely vampire but the scent was too faded for me to detect anything odd about it. It might as well have been the faded scent from Carlisle this morning. Yet, I could however distinctly identify the smell of burning fire. It smelled like somebody had lit a fire hours ago and the smog hadn't cleared yet. It was a sweet smell. I walked down the corridor leading to Carlisle's study investigating the strange occurrence. The closer I got to the study the stronger the smell of fire became. There were no other scents but it. I opened the door to Carlisle's study.

There was nothing wrong here. Everything was where it had always been. The monumental bookshelf's that covered all the walls with hundreds and hundreds of books, and his wooden desk and chair were all where they were supposed to be. There was however a trail. It was like following a thin path of fire that had been ignited on the carpet. I followed it intrigued by the sweet smell of flames. They lead behind Carlisle's desk and came to a sudden stop where his chair stood. Was Carlisle experimenting with something out of the ordinary? I crouched down and took a look beneath the desk and discovered nothing but white carpeting as far as the eye could see. I took a deeper breath and closed my eyes concentrating on the smell. It wasn't just on the carpet, it was airborne too. It encircled the drawer on the bottom that had a lock on it. It was where Carlisle kept the vampire index from Aro. I pulled it open and was surprised to find that Carlisle had left it unlocked. But then I took a better look at the metal mouth that protected the secrecy of the drawer, and it was broken.

I examined it closely before my eyes and noticed that it was simply smashed. I took a nervous look inside and was hoping to find the index, and prayed that it hadn't been abducted. Although, the smell of fire didn't belong to a human, and surely Esme would have noticed if any humans had emerged in the house. The index sat neatly in the drawer and seemed untouched. The smell however was surrounding it as well. I took the liberty of removing it and placed it on the desk. I flipped it open. At first glance it seemed like no one had tampered with it but then I noticed that the first page was loose. I carefully placed my fingers on the tender papyrus moving it up and down to find it barely attached to the spine.

What was this? I flipped to the back of the book. I figured that if there was something wrong with the first page then the last page must be the culprit. I would have easily thought that there was something wrong with the last chapter in the book if there was a last chapter. The last page was gone! It was the page that mentioned and listed the oldest names known to vampire kind. I flipped swiftly through the well preserved century old pages to make sure that it was in fact missing. Did Carlisle take it out? But he would never damage the book in such a way. It would be an easy fix though but why was the last page missing?

Maybe Carlisle removed it but why? I knew that he was currently obsessed with studying the history of the ancients but that insignificant reference held no information that could be considered worthwhile. He must have taken it out though. No one else could have. Everybody knew better than to mess with this old thing. It contained all of our knowledge and our secrets, and on top of that it was a gift from Aro and Carlisle held it dear. Aro thought that Carlisle could be trusted with the information on all of our kind which Carlisle felt very flattered by. If anyone could have done this than it must have been him but it was strange indeed why he would risk damaging it. And why would he break the lock and not just simply use his key? I would definitely want to question him about this later.

I placed the book back in the drawer and closed it and placed the broken lock on top of his desk. When I began to walk out of the study my thoughts about this strange smell returned to me demanding a good explanation for its existence, and some detective work on my part. I didn't have time for this now though. I would ask Carlisle later when he came home which was still about three hours away. I'd have to wait.

I secured the door behind me and flew down the hall to my room. No strange odors here but my own. I tossed my unnecessary schoolbooks on my desk and turned on my stereo. I skipped through the CD's inside of it until I ironically came to a stop when the melody of _Serenata Immortale _began to play. Why not.

The next two hours I had decided to wait out passed rather slowly. I decided to write in my journal which now housed an entire section dedicated to the mystery of _her_. I recorded every single detail I could remember of every encounter that I had with her. The events of the clearing and the frightening confrontation in the alley of Port Angeles were all listed here. I had also written down everything that Carlisle could tell me about the most ancient of vampires. I even went as far as creating bulletins and points A and B's in my pathetic attempt to draw a conclusion to all of this madness. I however always ended up in the exact same place as before when attempting to figure her out; a brick wall. Sometimes I felt like the answers were right there in front of me and all I had to do was turn on the light but I was unable to find its switch.

In the most peculiar aspects of these events though, I found myself no longer bored. It was like there was something to look forward to now. There was a mystery that needed unraveling. The more the mystery intensified itself at its very core the more I tried to journey there and uncover the secrets sleeping there. Of course the annoyance and gigantic amounts of irritation had to be a constant side effect.

The sky was already getting dark when the clock finally pointed at five. In an hour Carlisle would be coming home and I would be standing next to the door waiting. I wondered why he tore out the page with the ancient names. Maybe he wanted to catalog them elsewhere in the book. I tossed my journal aside and got up for an unnecessary stretch. Surprisingly the evening was cloud free but wore a dark shade of blue. The cleaners would be closing at seven tonight so I'd better make my way down there.

I checked to make sure I had money, and car keys in my pocket and headed downstairs. The others were nowhere to be seen. I heard them outside in the back yard. It sounded like Emmett, Jasper, and Rosalie were throwing a football back and forth whilst Alice and Esme were discussing the plantation of various more flowers in the back. I didn't know why they even bothered. Winter would soon be upon us. It was already October.

I got to my car and brought it back to life and backed out of the drive and headed in the direction leading back to town. I turned on my lights just for show. It was actually more comforting knowing they were off rather than on but I'd better. I exhaled noticeably as I sped down the road. I really didn't want to go to the banquet but I didn't want to disappoint Carlisle either so I had to choose the lesser of two evils. I could always tell when I got right into town since I was always bombarded with hundreds of thoughts.

There were people doing their homework, people planning for dinner, and other youth inspired disturbing thoughts that shall remain unsaid. I could see the lights in the dry cleaners when I pulled up in their small parking lot and found them not to be very busy, as usual. The one thing I enjoyed about Forks was that the density of its population was considerably lower than any other towns around, and not to mention the cool breeze of the night air.

I took a peek into the cleaners through their glass windows before opening the door and saw a girl from school behind the counter, her name was Lauren. She heard me opening the door and turned around with glistening eyes. She was a blonde and considered popular at school, and seemed to always hang around with Jessica Stanley. Her main interest was a young man named Tyler but that didn't stop her from trying to get to me.

_YES! _Oh great. This should be illuminating.

I walked up to the counter planning on making this a quick visit before she'd get the chance to ask me out to dinner. I wasn't in the mood for devising a good back out plan.

"Dry cleaning for Cullen please." She smiled at me and I noticed how her eyes traveled the length of me.

"Of course. I'll be right back." She tried unsuccessfully to put a seductive tone in her voice and disappeared behind the swinging doors. I heard her mental thoughts deliberating a good strategy to use in order to ask me out. Oh please I was really not in the mood for this.

She emerged back from behind the doors with my tuxedo neatly wrapped in plastic wrappings. She placed it slowly on top of the counter in front of me and threw me what must have been seducing glances?

"That'll be ten even Edward." She said my name slowly and let it roll of her tongue that made me wish my mother had given me another one. I kept a friendly smile on my face and withdrew a twenty dollar bill from my pocket and handed it to her. When she reached for it I saw her plan of making physical contact but I wouldn't allow her my cold touch. As soon as her finger tips graced the bill I withdrew my hand back into my pocket.

She did a good job of hiding her disappointment and with quick reflexes captured the money before it floated onto the floor. She collected my change from the cash register and held out the ten dollar bill with her middle and index finger trying to once more come over as seductive. In a slow motion I snatched the bill from her and secured it in my pocket and reached for my tux and planned on hastily existing the building before she could execute her plan.

"So Edward…" Damn these human paces we have to pretend.

"There is a nice little Italian restaurant in Port Angeles and I've been meaning to go there for a while now but I'm a little scared of going by myself. Interested to be my protector?" She showed her semi white teeth and graced her tongue on the edges of her teeth. Smooth.

"I really don't like Italian. The cuisines just aren't my taste." I was hoping that would settle it but she had a couple of contingency plans.

"There is also a cute little Chinese place I've wanted to try too."

"I don't appreciate fish that much either." My god she had a million of these.

"How about a simply snack at McDonalds then?"

"I don't eat junk food."

"There is a nice little coffee shop in Seattle where books are a main source of discussion." She obviously noticed my main attention at school which was books.

"Coffee doesn't become well of me and my opinions are mine alone."

"There is a Halloween fest coming up in Port Angeles in just a few weeks how about you accompany me there?" She couldn't stop herself could she?

"I'm not much for parties. If you don't mind I'm usually very busy and don't have much time for things that you are suggesting. I hope you find someone else though that could escort you to all those places. Have a good night Lauren." This time I said her name in a much more elaborate and seductive tone that she could ever summon.

I heard her clenching her fists as I turned around and started to stalk out the door. There were quite a few rude comments made in her head and I had to stop myself from laughing at her failed attempts. I'm sure though that that wasn't the last time I would hear from her.

I put my wrapped tux in the back of the car and got back in the driver's seat and saw Lauren goggling at me from behind the desk without even making an attempt to be discreet about it. I put it in reverse and speedily pulled out of the lot and away from the dry cleaners. In the future I would be taking my business to Port Angeles.

Mission accomplished I thought wearily while I raced down the road. Carlisle would be home in about half an hour and I would be able to ask him about vandalizing his own book. I didn't think he would do such a thing though but nobody else regularly examined the index but him. Then there is that weird smell too.

I was on the dark highway now that let back to the manor when I saw what appeared to be a hitchhiker. It wasn't anything new, there were many around these areas. The figure walked in a slow motioned human pace and was examining the dark tree lines that were covering both sides of the highway. When I got closer I noticed something rather troubling. There were no thoughts. I should have heard their thoughts a mile away but nothing.

No way… It couldn't be. When I got closer the details of the dark figure became cleaner and I was able to distinguish shapes. The shape was that of a female with dark hazelnut brown mahogany hair that traveled down to the middle of her back and she wore a long black coat with an upside down V shaped hole in the back. IT WAS! I gripped the steering wheel tighter than before and heard the leather screeching beneath my fingers as I passed that dark figure. My eyes quickly traveled to the right side of the road when I saw my suspicions coming true. IT WAS HER!

As I passed her my mind immediately began contemplating. Should I stop? Should I keep going? Before I knew it my foot had slammed down on the break and the tires of my car shrieked in the sudden turn of directions and released white clouds of smoke until I finally came to a complete stand still. I took a daring look in the rear view mirror and noticed no apparent change in her movement. She traveled down the road with regular human speed observing the trees on either side of the road. It looked to me like she was searching for something.

I was faced with a difficult decision now. I should abide by Carlisle's warning and simply return home and go where I was planning on. He wanted no interaction between us and her. Carlisle feared what she was capable off and even more so he was frightened by the things he didn't know. That alone taught me that he very much believed what I did. She was an ancient.

I wanted to do what Carlisle had instructed us to do but the curious part of me held its own in battle against Carlisle's warnings. Technically though, he told us to flee and run away if we were to come face to face with her but I wasn't on foot now was I? The backdoor to his rule was small and very hazardous. My insides screamed at me and ordered me to put the car in reverse and talk to her, and find out all the answers that I sought. Would I get them? There was only one way to find out. _Sorry Carlisle._

I put the car in reverse and made my way back down the road while keeping a good eye on her. Her position and posture hadn't changed. Before my electrical impulses could even respond to my minds orders I was already lowering the window on the passenger side. I was not getting out of this car! I came to a stop right before she slowly passed the car ignoring me. I know that she knows that I was here.

I had hoped for some form of response though, anything. I lightly touched the gas pedal and began inching forward trying to keep up with her slow pace as she continued to study the trees. I would have to be the one to start a conversation. As I looked at her I noticed once more how incredibly beautiful she was, more so than any other vampire I had ever met. It looked dazzling how her hair swung delicately in the cold breeze. It was hard to believe Carlisle's words of how she must have come from a dark place in time. She didn't even really look like some ancient vampire unless of course she wanted it that way.

She continued to ignore me. My lips quivered when I tried to formulate words in order to get her attention. Though I still had a small nag to pick with her I decided to approach this politely and indeed heed Carlisle's caution about not wanting to insult an ancient.

"Ex-Excuse me?" I was glad when the words left my mouth and it felt like I had won dominance with establishing the first contact. She paid me no mind. I knew she heard me.

"Hello?" She finally turned her head in my direction and I felt my silent dead heart wanting to revive and beat thousands of times a minute. Unfortunately it was not I that quirked her interest. She looked past me and examined the trees on the others side of the road. However this motion gave me the chance for a better look at her face once more. She looked relaxed and what seemed like patient. Her eyes blinked slowly like she was tired. I wondered what she was looking for. Then I noticed the small movements that her lips made. They moved gracefully in a synchronized formation like she was whispering. For the first time ever I suddenly felt a surge of heat inside of me.

Her lips looked so inviting and smooth. I wondered what it would be like to…touch them or… I shook my head. I had to stay focused on what I came here to do. Suddenly though I noticed a new sound entering the atmosphere. It was very low and almost undetectable if it wasn't for vampiric hearing. I tried to block out the sounds of the engines and the mild howling of the wind and concentrated on that sound alone. It was a melody, like a very slow song. It was her. She was singing.

"_Beyond the stars horizons wait… through shadows and the cold abyss…"_

Beautiful, just beautiful. The sound of her voice was so light and feminine. There was a perfect pitch to her singing as well. I listened closer than before.

"_Forsaken in the dark we were… far away… from white shores. _

_The weeps of willows are our tears… bound forever… in eternal death."_

If I didn't know any better than I'd say she was singing about vampires. Perhaps some sort of ancient hymn?

"_A light to reach in the night… stretched out their hands all eight did. Bound forever… by the blood of man. _

_Now we travel down the road… and alone we fly with the winds. Eternally… hidden… in the hearts of worlds._

_Forever shall we live… forever shall we live…_

_Never will we fade… never will we fade…_

_Us the Lords of old."_

That slow paced song was definitely a reference to vampires, especially the last bit. I played with the idea that maybe she didn't respond because she was too consumed in her song. I tried to communicate with her again once the last word of her song had been uttered but as I was about to speak she simply started the low hymn all over again while continuing her quest of the trees.

I never thought this would be easy but I will NOT be ignored. I will make contact and receive the answers that I want.

Now that she was here, she was not getting away.

(Authors Note) – So, in the next chapter will have a rather heated discussion between the two and Edward will get the first glimpse of the danger that Bella (he'll also learn her name) referred to with her statement "stay away from the mountains". **Please review.**


	11. Chapter 10

Interrogations

"_Forever shall we live… Never will we fade…"_

This was now the fifth time she had silently repeated the song she had been singing to herself ever since I started to… well stalk her. Her movements and actions had not changed one bit since my first attempts at trying to communicate with her. She walked a slow human pace while singing her song, and continued her examinations of the trees around her. At times though, she would look up to the sky as well.

I wanted to try again and planned to do or say just about anything to get her attention. But the gentle and melodic voice that escaped her lips was so hypnotizing. As she continued to sing I felt a touch of serenity surround me and consume me in its magnificence. In addition, while she sang I couldn't stop myself from thinking about the ancients and the war stories that Carlisle had told me about. For some reason it triggered the age old stories that I knew about and allowed them to overtake my thoughts. I had to resist however. No matter how beautiful and calming her singing was to me I had to stay focused on the issue at hand. I came here for answers and I'll be damned if I won't even get one tonight.

"Excuse me. Can you hear me?" What a silly question. I knew she could hear me though she chose not to respond to my pleas. She acted like there was nothing on this highway but her and the melody that she hummed. What was I going to do? There were possibilities that I was considering like shouting, or hissing at her but the last I wanted to do was be rude. Then again, her assault on me was not justified and she had no right to violate my privacy the way she did.

"HEY! I'M TALKING TO YOU." After my voice developed a personality of its own and got tired of waiting around for me to do something it decided to take matters in its own hands. I felt myself sinking in my seat after I just so barbarically yelled at her. I was expecting for her to whip around and give me a dark look and growl at me. Unfortunately though this didn't shake her either, and she continued the pretense that she was the only one here. This was getting me nowhere.

I had to attract her attention and it seemed that simple greetings or rather crude comments wouldn't do the job. Maybe I could acquire her attention another way, a more sophisticated way. What if she knew what I and Carlisle came to conclude? Would she be surprised? It was worth a try.

"I know what you are." I waited expectantly for her to finally take notice of me but yet again, nothing. Why was she doing this? She was only a few meters away from my car and continued to choose to ignore me. Why did she do this? My frustration began to climb its scale, and once it'd reach the very top I knew I would eventually blow up.

"Hear me ancient!" I hoped that perhaps me knowing what sort of vampire she exactly was would spring her interest but I was wrong again. This approach wasn't very intelligent either though. There were others that were called ancients that were still alive today. Vampire such as the masters of the Volturi, Amun, and few others possessed this status and personally I couldn't think of a term to describe a vampire older than them. Elder?

This was truly trying my patience. What else could I say? Actually there were a lot of things I could say but considering underage readers I probably shouldn't. I needed something that signified and presented the ancients that lived millennia before any that are called that now. I felt my infamous crooked smile swiftly pull up my lips when I realized that she had perhaps given me what I wanted. Somehow being so close to her now I felt a slight tingling sensation in my thumb at the exact spot where she had left her mark. I had no idea if this was going to get her attention but what else could I do? I took a deep breath and hoped that this attempt would be successful otherwise I doubted that I could think of anything else to catch her notice besides jumping out of the car and confronting her. Not a very intellectual idea though.

"Venenum Memoria." I was so nervous while saying it that I allowed to much air to escape my mouth and I basically chocked the words. However, even in the manner the words were said I believed that I had finally achieved my goal.

"_Forsaken in the dark we wer…" _Her song came to a screeching halt as did her pace and she stood solidified on the spot. I felt a mental chuckle roaring in my head and marching in parades of celebration.

_Gotcha_

I waited and tried to anticipate her next move though I found this to be extremely difficult. If she was so unpredictable that not even Alice's psychic eye could catch her movement or actions than what chance would I have? The fact that I was unable to detect the essence of her thoughts was most troublesome and put me in a disadvantage. Finally after standing still like a statue she moved again. Her body slowly turned around to face my car, and she unleashed the full flavor of her scent on me when the wind blew it through the opened window. Her scent was truly intoxicating. The aroma of freesias, jasmine and lavender was mouthwatering even though she was a vampire, and that distinct and faint sweet smell of fire or brimstone even was like the icing on a very delicious cake.

As she turned I saw what seemed to be an amused smile slowly covering her lips. Her eyes blinked once revealing beautiful long and thin lashes and uncovered those mystical dark red eyes. Her crimson orbs seemed like a pool of wine and I sensed such warmth, and care from them. Although I knew that those of our kind that wore such rubies weren't as kind hearted and were in fact murderers.

Finally her frontal body faced me and she moved to cross her arms over her chest. Then there was nothing. She merely stood there unmoving and not even breathing. She had mimicked the properties of my crooked smile and wore one of her own now as her garnet like eyes rested on me. I had hoped for this, and wanted her to focus on me so I might achieve answers to these deluded questions that were overtaking my thoughts. Yet, now that I was where I wanted to be I couldn't think of a single thing to say. There were so many questions floating around in my head, and so many that screamed to be answered but now I was unsure of my actions.

The engines of my car continued their low humming as the night grew darker. My eyes would not leave the sight of her. I needed to watch her every move and I would not allow her to flee my radar this time. Her posture hadn't changed and she proceeded to simply stand there with her arms crossed, a crooked smile covering her features, and staring at me expectantly. I think she was waiting for me to make the next move. My mind was contemplating its options. How should I start this? Where should I begin? Should I perhaps just come right out with it and tell her my suspicions about her being an ancient that was older than even the Volturi?

Suddenly I saw her chest expand as she took a deep breath and saw it drop when she exhaled the consumed her impatiently. Her crooked smile turned to a vision of boredom and annoyance as she raised her eyebrows and cocked her head to the side. She was definitely waiting for me to make the next move, and I had to take it. I couldn't let her dominate the conversation. I had to control this meeting.

The path that I was trailing down became more difficult by the second. I had achieved what I wanted but the knowledge I required to proceed seemed to have fled in terror, and dismantled itself as soon as I won my first objective; I got her attention. I could tell that she grew more impatient with every passing moment although she did well hiding it behind her amused crooked smile. I had to approach this the right way, and couldn't simply barge into it. I had to be very, very careful. If Carlisle and I were right then we were dealing with a mind full of ancient instincts that would possibly not see things the way we did.

She held her position and didn't move and continued to stare at me charmingly. I was rather surprised by her relaxed state. If she was an ancient then she should be concerned with being unearthed, and her identity revealed. Unless of course she was planning to eradicate evidence that could prove her existence which would happen to be us. We were still only theorizing though. I had to start talking before she would. I gripped my steering wheel tight while I adjusted myself in the seat and leaned towards the window. I took a nervous breath and began the conversation anew.

"H-How are you?" Oh great. That was brilliant Edward. I didn't think that casualties would interest her much. In addition, I just gave away my nervousness by allowing my voice to break on the very first word I uttered. It was already out and I couldn't do anything about it so I patiently awaited her response which thankfully followed immediately. It wasn't what I expected though. She simply raised her delicate chocolate brown eyebrows and gave me a quick and low smile. She began tapping her fingers on her arm. She was growing more and more impatient as did the tension between us.

What next? Maybe I should move further to the point. I hadn't noticed it before much but now seeing her right in front of me once more made my anger begin to rise in my throat, trying to overtake my voice. The way she stood there, all relaxed and in peace infuriated me. She acted like she didn't even know me or what happened in Port Angeles never even occurred. I clenched my teeth together in an attempt to reign over the bits of rage that tried to amount themselves to something. Once more, it was like my subconscious was trying to tell me to be very, very careful.

"What is your name?" Good, that was out. I wanted to have a name for this woman. The constant _her _and_ she _references grew tiresome. Her expression didn't change. She had reattached that crooked smile to her lips and simply stared at me. What was so difficult about a name? It didn't look like she was going to answer me. I sighed defeated. Why for once couldn't I get what I wanted?

"You know it would only be fair for me to know your name since you know mine." Did I just say that out loud? There was a sharp edge to the tone of my voice, almost angry. Who could blame me? Her reaction alone when I uttered the words of venenum memoria convinced me that it was in fact what she had used against me. In conclusion, she knew everything about me. Every single detail of my memories and my life now belonged to her but I was glad however that she didn't take my thoughts like Aro could. Although, thoughts are often woven into memories themselves.

"Fair?" My head snapped back up in the direction the bell like voice had originated from, and found that she had finally spoken. Her facial expressions had changed. The delicate brows that were raised and looked amused a minute ago now seemed irritated. Her eyes took up a piercing like nature as if she could see into my very soul, whatever was left of it anyway.

"What do you know of fairness?" Her voice grew dark as she spoke, like she was the one that was angry now. Had I already made a mistake or passed boundaries that should never have been discovered in the first place?

"Do you think it to be fair that you lived your life in the light whining about your self centered existence while I had to suffer in the darkness alone?" She was glaring at me while she spoke.

She twisted the conversation and was leading it down another road. Her response stuck to me like bees on honey though. Lived my life in the light? I knew she possessed my memories but the part about living in the light was still debatable. What did she know? It might sound cold hearted no pun intended but at this instant I couldn't care less about her suffering.

"I wasn't referring to that. I asked a simple question concerning your identity. Is it so difficult to give away your name?" I'm sure she could tell the annoyance dripping of my voice as the venom in my mouth collected itself to form a whole new batch. I had to be careful not to hiss at her. She raised her eyebrows surprised and what seemed like appalled.

"Simple? You're idiocy is remarkable young one. By your expectations it should be a simple matter to reveal ones name because of the way you were brought up by your human parents. Yet you have no respect, recollection or sympathy for the old ways nor do you invoke the lucid dogma that perhaps long ago it was believed that if you gave something or someone your name it would gain control and power over you."

I wish I had listened to Carlisle. He was absolutely right. We were dealing with an instinct that came from a world long forgotten. The mere thought that someone even a vampire would still hold that ancient believe dear was unbelievable. I had no idea how to continue this conversation now. If she was so unwilling to give me her name I doubted that she would divulge any other information pertaining to herself. Suddenly I heard a step. She began advancing towards my car in a human pace. The irate facial features that she wore prior to her first step had fallen and looked blank now.

What should I do? If I drive away now would she pursue me? I had entirely lost the hold on this confrontation if I even ever had it. I couldn't even device an offensive strategy since I was blind to the intentions she held now.

She reached my car and slowly pulled her fingers over the opened window and lowered her head to glower at me. She didn't lean into the car though but crossed her arms and used the door for support.

"So, what is it we think we know?" Now she was interrogating me. I should have seen this coming a mile away. I had opened the door to the fact that I didn't really know but had suspicions to who she was. The ancients were all but forgotten and even the Volturi thought that there were none left. If she was one of them then she had done a good job in staying with the shadows. I didn't owe her anything though, and two could play this game. She didn't answer any of my questions so why should I?

I turned away from her and stared out onto the open road. My mind was set. I wasn't going to tell her anything. But what would she do as soon as she realized that I wasn't going to tell her anything? I should have kept driving.

I heard a low chuckle emanating from her.

"I have played this game many times sweetling. Vampires that believe they have uncovered vital information that could glorify their position amongst their kind and ensure safe passage across the planes of Elysium. If you truly know the purpose of venenum memoria than you should consider the possibility that I have no need for the spoken word in order to gain that which I seek."

I slowly turned my head back in order to look at her and saw a mocking smile covering her lips. Damn.

I wasn't going to have to go through that again would I? Even though it plagued me I had to admit that she was absolutely right. Elysium? I wondered what had happened to those that might have been standing in the same shoes as me. It wasn't hard to imagine what their just dessert was.

"So, shall we try this again? What is it you believe to know?" Her dark red eyes seemed to try to bore their way inside of me. It was almost like they were trying to hypnotize me. I didn't have a choice did I? I swallowed nervously and tried to collect my thoughts on this matter. The best way to approach this new topic would be to just come out and say it I suppose.

"You are an ancient." I was glad that for once I was able to form a regular sentence and didn't choke it like some of the others. I hoped that the suspicions I held were true. I observed her reactions while I voiced my opinion and noticed that it had no effect on her whatsoever. The mocking smile she held didn't falter even once. Instead, after about a minutes pause she raised her brows like waiting for me to continue. Unfortunately, beyond that I didn't really have anything else. There was a constant tapping sound now as she tapped her fingers on the door frame. She sighed.

"You mean to tell me that after all this nonsense all you managed to ever acquire was that very fact?" She chuckled shaking her head. "I must take back my earlier sentiment. I have not played such a game before. Others usually had much more awareness."

Now what? It was all I had to go on. I couldn't even begin to determine her age. This had gone all wrong. I came here looking for answers but was instead dried of information myself. I was so close to her now and the answer that I wanted seemed to float all around me yet I couldn't touch them. Her eyes traveled down the length of my body I noticed. They seemed weary and even disgusted. She shook her head slowly and pursed her lips.

"You waste my time." She unattached herself from my car but only to turn back around and retake her position once more, and looked at me troubled.

"You should know this young one. Your obscure lifestyle will never be accepted in the old world which still very much exists. Also, you should be ashamed of yourself to think you are BETTER than others of your species because of your reverence for mortals. I suppose you are not entirely to blame but rather your dear fool of a creator. Perhaps you should inquire about your own kind and learn from what we have discovered in this world rather than masquerade yourself amongst humans. I will tell you this; very soon you will have no choice but to become what you became."

There was a small quake and my car shook as she pushed herself off and returned to walk away. Who the hell did she think she was? What gives her the right to judge me or Carlisle? If she knew anything about us at all than she should know that what she said wasn't true. My God, she is INFURIATING! I still had her in my vision and she seemed to be returning to the woods. No. NO! I was not going after her. I had to listen to Carlisle and heed his advice. Fool of a maker… Carlisle was anything but that. I have never encountered anybody that could rival his compassion and love for life. She was almost gone and in the shades of the trees. It was settled though, and I was not going after her. I had no idea to how she would react to me pursuing her. I shook my head and finalized my own thoughts. I was not going after.

* * *

What was I thinking? Of course I'm going after her. Before I even knew it a growl escaped my teeth and I slammed the door shut causing a crack in the window. She was gone. Not this time. I catapulted myself forward and immediately picked up her scent leading straight into the abyss of the woods. I didn't know what would await me in the darkness of the forest but I didn't care. You don't just go around judging the lifes of others and then expect to get away with it.

Her scent was straight lines that lead further and further into the wilderness. I was going as fast as I could and pushed my legs harder than I ever had before. I must have been throwing chunks of dirt behind me leaving a very visible trail. I didn't care. It was anger and frustration that drove me to this.

Jesus. How fast was she? I had already run at least a mile and a half into the forest at top speed and I still couldn't detect her anywhere. Her scent was all that I had to go on. But that wasn't the issue right now. I had to think about what I would do once I'd get her. I had to strategize and determine the appropriate course of action to take. I have to be cautious now that I was out in the open. Every one of my moves and words had to be devised beforehand.

How far in the woods was I now? Luckily her scent still lay strong before me. How could she be so fast? Was is true what Carlisle said? The older we become the more power we gain? Well what else could explain this incredible speed by which she traveled? If I wasn't going to catch up to her soon I'd…

Something grabbed the back of my shirt and swept me off my feet causing my back to collide with the ground. A dust cloud emerged from the forest floor as I crashed into it. What in the world? When I opened my eyes I saw the dark cloud covered sky above me. The scent of freesias, jasmine, and lavender was very strong now. I heard a low clack like sound which came from somebody wearing heels. I had heard Rosalie and Alice clacking around in those things long enough to know what they sounded like. She was here.

She stood above me with an infuriated glance.

"What do you think you are doing?" She spat the words at me, and her voice became very loud. I hissed and flipped myself up and into a crouch before retaking my position on my feet. I tried to remind myself to be careful around her and watch my every syllable.

"What do YOU think you are doing? You can't just go around and throw judgment over others without even knowing the littlest thing about them. Having my memories or not you don't know the first thing about my family and what we are all about. Who the hell do you think you are?" Growls overtook the integrity of my throat. I had promised myself that I'd take it easy and think before I spoke but she made it so difficult.

It was then when I noticed that something was wrong. I expected her to be angry and even shout back at me but instead her expression was worried. What's with the sudden mood swing?

"You should not be here. You should leave, now." Her voice was definitely worried so I was right. She looked at me with concerned and anxious eyes. Was she trying to lead me away from the subject? It wasn't going to work twice.

"Please. Leave." She was truly concerned. But why? Suddenly a shadow crossed over the both of us and I heard a flap. Her head was the first to snap up to the sky mine followed only seconds later. It was gone.

"What was that?" It sounded like…wings. The shadow I saw moved quickly above us and disappeared just as swiftly.

Out of nowhere I felt myself being pressed onto my knees and my head pulled up against her. In a blinding motion she had forced me on my knees and was now pressing the side of my face to her stomach. I felt her cold hand and fingers on my cheek as she squeezed me against her. It was like… like she was taking a protective stance over me.

I felt my entire being shiver with emotions that were completely alien to me. Her body felt so soft up against the side of my face, and her scent completely filled my nostrils. There was a festival of aphrodisiacs dancing around in my nose that traveled to my mouth as well. I savored her scent on my tongue and it tasted so good. It was soothing and just simply delicious. I felt my breaths coming and going deeper and deeper when she moved her fingers on my cheek holding me against her. My eyelids fluttered and I felt my mind whirling and exploding with dormant emotions she had awoken within me.

I moved my head against her and looked up to see her face. She seemed nervous. Her glimpses concentrated on the immediate forest around us. Even though this should concern me it didn't. I felt warmth within me that I had never experienced before. Her touch was so cold but it was so comforting at the same time. If I didn't know any better than I'd say that she was protecting me.

But from what?

_Flap._

(Authors Note) – Okay, so I lied ;-)! Not on purpose though. He'll discover her name (Bella) in the next chapter. PROMISE. But there wasn't any room for that now. **Please review. **


	12. Chapter 11

Pieces

There was no noise. The forest seemed to have been frozen in time. It was so still and quiet that it was almost horrifying in a way. The usual sound of water drops bouncing of leaves and smashing into the earthy ground or the little furry legs of insects moving about were completely gone. Even the winds that had been ravaging through Forks with extraordinary velocity had disappeared. It was misty too I noticed, small silvery layers that looked like curtains had thrown themselves over the treetops. It was so… eerie. If I didn't know any better than it seemed as if the forest itself was frightened and it didn't dare to even exhale a whisper.

I was still within her grasp. She held me close to her and at times would even lightly pat my cheek as if trying to reassure me. Her touch was so bizarre and unfamiliar. I had never experienced another vampire's touch that could feel so chilly. It was like I was being handled by an ice cube. Though her interaction was abnormal indeed it was not the strangest thing I had endured so far. The emotions that began broadcasting from somewhere within me became demanding, and overtaking, and these emotions appeared the minute she had fused our two bodies.

_Flap_

Even though it was difficult to manage my head up towards the sky with her forcing me so tightly against her I was able to move enough to focus my eyes towards the dark horizon. The flapping sound destroyed my thinking process and demanded all my attention. What the hell was up there? At first I thought a regular bird like an eagle or owl had flown by but it sounded far too big. When I heard that crashing noise of wings it sounded much like a silent thunder. A lot of air must have been propelled downwards in order to keep whatever was up there airborne.

"Halt your breaths." It was the first time she had spoken since she had pinned me up against her. Without even asking or wondering why I followed her instruction right away. I was exhaling when she spoke so I didn't get a chance to inhale but it wasn't a necessity. It was uncomfortable however not to breath in your surroundings. I don't think it would have helped much anyway. Before I was ordered to stop breathing I tried to catch the scent of whatever was up there and by all rights I should have been able to but there was no detectable aroma in the air that could have distinguished the new comer. That alone confounded me. Besides the scents of earth, water, the left over nut like fragrance of rodents, and of course her perfume there was nothing else in the air.

I didn't notice at first right away but now I could feel a serious tension rising within me. It was like my subconscious was attempting to transfer a message to my conscious mind. Like there was something it was missing and should be inquiring about, and focus attention to. Soon I realized that there truly was something to worry about. I couldn't belief that it actually took me a couple of minutes to realize it but thanks to my subconscious I now did.

The vampire that gracefully wandered into an unknown territory which was inhabited by ten foreign vampires that could have easily been bloodthirsty beasts simply waiting to shred something asunder was now very much ALERT! Up until this point she had always seemed very cool and relaxed, and even when she was surrounded by us and the nomads that day in the clearing she didn't have a care in the world, and even Jasper confirmed this status. However, things appeared a lot different now. If I were in unknown territory with a dozen vampires whose identities and intentions were clouded to me I would be very anxious. Furthermore, I would not have the audacity to amble about in their lands like she did. Either she was looking for death to carry her off with swift wings or she knew that we didn't stand a chance against her. Either way, now seeing her so vigilant made me extremely nervous.

But what was it that was so dangerous? This very question had me baffling for days. Besides the Children of the Moon or perhaps the La Push wolves that dwelled in the native forests I couldn't think of a single being besides a vampire that could cause harm to us. From what I was able hear I could determine that whatever it was that enabled even _her_ awareness had wings; very big wings.

After what felt like life ages her hold on me began to relinquish. By doing so she caused my body to protest violently. It was screaming for her to once more smash me up against her form and keep me there. But the protests went defeated as she loosened her hold on me. She turned her body around and lightly waved the back of her coat against my face. She began to take a hesitant step forward as her hand slowly slid across my cheek and ear, and brushed the backside of my head before falling back to her side. I continued to hold my breath as she had ordered me and wouldn't dare to take one sip of air until she'd say so. I don't know why I was so loyal all of a sudden but somehow I sensed that it was the right thing to do.

She had only taken about four steps before she halted her slow pace and stared at the trees with her back turned to me. I could hear her taking in deep and long breaths as if she was trying to smell something. She suddenly turned around so that I now had a side view of her features. Her face was finally in my full vision and she seemed… ready. Her eyes were glowering at the trees but only before she slowly closed them. In my amazement and confusion I had accidentally started to draw air again. I inhaled and exhaled slowly just like she did. Her eyes snapped open and focused on mine with furrowed brows, and an annoyed expression. Without consideration I immediately stopped my breathing and put up the closed sign on my lungs once more.

When she noticed that I resumed to stop breathing her facial features mollified and she closed her eyes once more. I think I knew what she was trying to do. She was trying to hear something. There were no noticeable scents in the air at least none that I could detect so the only other reasonable explanation would be to focus and rely on your hearing in order to obtain that which you sought.

What was she seeking? Was it whatever that passed over us only moments ago? It must have been something quite… out of the ordinary if it even caused her discomfort, and moved her into such an elaborate state of unrest. While I kneed on the dirt on the ground watching her the words she had confided to us days ago overtook my thinking and once more it was like my subconscious was trying to transmit a message to me.

_Stay away from the mountains. _

_Stay away from the mountains. _

Yes, yes I whispered mentally. Her warning that we at first presumed to be fake or a hoax in order to breed a hunting ground for herself suddenly didn't feel so empty anymore. Although we weren't near the mountains and but a mile or so into the forest. I'm sure though that whatever it was that demanded her attention could move freely, and could apparently grace the skies as well. A chill suddenly ran down my spine. It was like I could see these ice crystals forming on my neck and melting and refreezing down along my back. Also, this omniscient aura began glowing and radiating off of my consort in this forest, and the way she stood there and moved her head from side to side was somehow fascinating to me. I had never seen a vampire with so much poise before. It was like she planned every single action, breath, and gesture before she proceeded with them.

However, it was not she that formed chills down my spine. My thoughts were the culprits to this almost non existing event. I thought about the impossibility of another creature being able to form a threat towards myself and others of my kind. I remembered the dark sound of air descending, and crashing unto the trees. I wondered what sort of wings could cause such turbulence and force. I tried to go through the lists of species in the animal kingdom and wanted to find a regular corporal being that was capable of such strength. Yet, somehow I knew that if I were to find one it would not make any sense regardless of what my mind would want to accept. No animal that I know of could cause distress for our kind. Especially, towards an ancient that stood in this very spot and within my midst.

I watched her delicate nostrils expanding only slightly as she took in the cool night air, and contract when she returned the air to the winds. She moved slightly around so that her back was turned to me again and I lost my sight of her face. I saw her finger tingling, or moving like she was anticipating something. She continuously cocked her head from one side to another. The more I watched the more I was beginning to feel she wasn't trying to smell anything at all. I had never seen a vampire act like this.

Out of nowhere her breaths reached a sudden stop and a low menacing hiss erupted from her throat. The hiss that flowed over her lips was continuous, and sounded even more dangerous when she began breathing again. She stepped forward and began a rapid walk towards the trees when her hand suddenly shot up in the air with her index finger pointed to the sky. What a strange gesture on her part. It looked like her arm had a mind of its own and was trying to remind her of something.

A bored and annoyed sigh was released by her throat when she slowly turned around and rested her weary red eyes on me. My own eyes were still trembling with the mysterious and dark tension that was surrounding us. Her gaze was truly irate and almost painful like she didn't like the fact I was here. The irate glowering of her eyes turned to slits while she seemed to be contemplating her options with what to do with me. Without a doubt in this very instance it was so easily identifiable on what sort of frequency her thoughts were running along. She did not want me here.

Suddenly her eyes retreated back to their original state and were now glistening with specks of determination. Although she still seemed very bothered by my presence. She sighed and began retreating and walking back over to me. During her short walk her eyes continued to fix on me until her lips pulled up on their corners amused.

"Get up you silly thing." She reached down and gently touched the sides of my torso helping me up. A nuclear reaction exploded inside of me and my emotions became a maelstrom of burning fire as they rejoiced in the return of her touch. Those emotions were just insane, and so foreign. She helped me up and held a pleasant smile on her snow white countenance. Her hands suddenly reached to my belly as she brushed of the microscopic amounts of dirt that had housed themselves there. I felt like a small child. Now more than ever I didn't dare to breath otherwise it would be notoriously embarrassing if heavy breaths flew out between my teeth.

After she finished brushing me off she looked back into my eyes. Those eyes… They knew things that I wanted to know, and held the answers that I have hunted in the deepest abyss of my clouded mind. Her scent of freesia's and jasmine became stronger when she suddenly leaned forward and close to my face.

"You are going to come with me." It was a strong and stern statement. I was actually surprised that she wished for me to accompany her. It was a statement however that I was not going to follow. I had to remember that this was a vampire I truly knew nothing about, a vampire that assaulted me in a dark alley in Port Angeles, and a vampire that according to Carlisle and my suspicion could be very dangerous.

"N-No I'm no-not." Oh for the love of everything that is holy enough with the nervous stuttering already on my part. This speech impediment simply screamed weakness and vulnerability. In addition, it wouldn't go over as a ratified expression because such a pathetic statement wouldn't be taken seriously.

She leaned in even closer than before so that I could feel her sweet breath washing up against my face. How can someone have such an aroma that could very well hypnotize you? I tried to stay on topic although it was very hard to do with her intoxicating scent in the air. Her smile hadn't faltered when I told her I wasn't coming with her. What was she going to do about it? Drag me along with her?

"It was not a question." She whispered the words in a low humming like noise. A small band of chuckles escaped her mouth as she turned around lighting fast and retreated into me so that her back was lined up with my chest. Suddenly I felt two ice cold grips around my hands that pulled them and my arms around her neck. She arched backwards and bumped my stomach so that I literally fell on her back. There was now also a tight grip behind my knees that secured and wrapped my legs around her body.

"Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey! Let me down!" I tried to protest but it proved useless. I couldn't free my hands since hers still surrounded them. Also, as soon as I tried to unwrap my legs her hands found them and secured them once more. It was such a fast gesture that I couldn't undo my legs or arms in time before they would be stopped. My face rested right next to hers with our cheeks touching. This new closeness was seriously strange and yet becoming. This was as close to a woman as I had ever gotten although I never thought that a woman would be giving me a piggyback ride.

She turned her face so I could feel her breath right next to my cheek. I turned my face too and she must have seen my infuriated expression. Why was she doing this? Why would she go to such extremes? Was this still some measure of protection like she had pulled earlier when she had me on the ground? This was more embarrassing than anything else.

"Hold on tight sweetling." Her smile was extravagant from such a close proximity. Before I knew it or could do anything about it her lips reached my cheek. She smiled a triumphant grin and left me with emotions that I couldn't understand. The cold lips that reached my cheek felt so good, and so right, and…

"WOAH!" She bolted and started to run. No wonder she had put me on her back instead of asking me to run along with her. I had to hold on tight so I wouldn't fall off. JESUS CHRIST SHE WAS FAST! I couldn't even make out the detail in the objects that we passed. I only saw colors like green, brown, black or the occasional yellow. We must still be in the forest. My God my own speed couldn't even compare to this level. What did she do? Open up a hyperspace window? I held on even tighter than before. I wondered if it bothered her since I was literally strangling her. Suddenly we were airborne. I tried to look below and saw the green which must have been the trees that grew smaller and smaller. What were we flying? It got to a point when we were falling that I could actually make out the trees below and saw the vast expand of the Olympic Peninsula and the mountains that lay ahead. As we were falling we suddenly got a boost and instead of reaching the ground we swept forward like we were truly gliding with the winds. Somehow though this speed was exhilarating. The ability to move so fast and run even swifter than the wind must come after numerous millennia of being a vampire because if it didn't than this must have been some sort of talent of hers. I would stick with my first guess though.

The ground below looked like an ocean of green. Endless trees and bushes, and flowers that we passed looked mesmerizing from so high up. I noticed however that we were descending and losing altitude all too quick. The ocean of green came closer until we entered it and I heard a loud thump like noise. We landed but it didn't end there. I couldn't even comprehend my surroundings before she took off again. Where were we headed? Greenland? Fortunately though we were slowing down to the point of where I could make out trees and small animals again. We had eventually reached the point where she was basically jogging through the forest. I wondered what was here and why I was forced to come along. We stopped. Thank God!

If I were human I would have thrown up my guts a plethora of times. My legs and arms were nestled tight around her like they were frozen while my face still rested up against the side of her face. She walked forward with human pace but suddenly halted and turned her face to me. I was still frozen.

"Edward? You may let go now!" When she spoke my joints seemed to free themselves of the temporary paralysis they had gone in during the run. I looked at her with my eyes raised wide. I saw her furrowed brows and glistening crimson eyes. I think she was trying to hide a smile.

"Err… ye-yeah." I jumped off and touched the ground. Even though the run was quite an experience I felt like falling to the earthy ground and kissing it. I quickly brushed myself off with leaves that were stuck to me and had to detatch my clothes from my body that seemed to have fused with my skin. I heard a small laugh coming from her. I looked up and saw her hiding a smile behind the back of her hand.

"What?" What's so funny now? She moved her hand and pointed it to her head. My hair? I reached up to my head and felt my hair standing up and reaching to the sky. I must look like one of them hedgehogs. I quickly tired to straighten out my punk rock style like hair and return it to its messy nature. How come her hair wasn't out of control like mine? The further time went by the more of a fool I made out of myself it seemed. With one last swipe through my hair it felt like it had gone back to something presentable rather than me looking prepared for some Goth concert.

I finally took a look around to see where she had taken us but this area didn't look so different from where we were before. Why did she have to kidnap me here? I could have just gone back to my car which was probably still running and driven back to the mansion. There was something though… something in the air. It was… a strange scent. It smelt like tainted blood; blood that had been infused with venom. Somehow though there was another river of scent next to it, a rather foul perfume. I heard light thumping noises that brought me back out of my trance that the scent had encircled me in and saw her walking through a line of trees and pushing aside the branches and ferns. She headed in the direction the scent came from. Perhaps I could get some answers to all this craziness if I found out what exactly the scent emanated of off. She seemed to be very interested. I decided to follow her and quickly pushed through the bushed and trees. She was a little further ahead of me but I still had her in visual range. The deeper we migrated through the jungle the more potent the scent became. I wondered what could possibly give of such a distasteful scent. I saw her pushing through the last bit of leaves and stepping into a very small clearing where the scent was the strongest. I hurried through the last bits of branches that were trying to stop me from uncovering some of the truths behind all this madness. I entered the clearing.

Oh my… Jesus. What in the… There were no words for this. I had found the origin of the smell. It was absolutely… No. I couldn't think of anything to describe this. Here in this small clearing lay the corpse of a vampire.

A vampire corpse that was torn in pieces rested here in this clearing. My hand quickly flew up to my mouth and nose covering them both as I was appalled by the sight before me. What could have done this? The pieces that lay before me were completely mutilated. There were bits everywhere. A leg that had deep scratch like marks running down its length, hands that were missing fingers and a torso that was completely torn asunder. If I wasn't mistaken and my mind was not playing tricks on me then I swear that some of those pieces had bite marks on them. It looked like something took chunks of bites out of this body. Whatever did this must have had great strength. Every piece of flesh had deep claw marks in them even uncovering some of the bones that lay within. This was a horrific sight.

I heard her sigh and crouch down over the body. Her face was covered by a disgusted glance as she took in all the pieces of what once was an immortal.

"Once more I only arrive to witness its aftermath." It? What was it? What creature could do this? She also said once more so that indicated that this wasn't the first time? I had never come across anything like this before. I never heard Carlisle speak of any supernatural entity except for vampires and werewolves. This being could only belong to our world of the supernatural. No animal could have done this.

"Such a shame. There are not very many Creole vampires left." Creole? I quickly scanned all the pieces of the body that were left and hoped to find the reminisce of a head. Between all the blood, pieces of skin that looked like they were chewed on, and dismembered body parts I finally found a head. Well, what was left of a head anyway. It too was torn in half and part of it was missing but I could see an eye and parts of a nose and mouth. It looked like something had run its claws across the left over countenance of what was once Laurent. It was him, and I was sure of it. He arrived days ago in our baseball clearing with James and Victoria and now he was no more. This was a fate no one deserved not even a vampire. My God.

"How did you know he was a Creole?" It was something minor that I had been inquiring about as well. It was not as pressing as the other questions that lurked around the corners of my mind but any information she'd give me concerning herself I would appreciate. She smiled exposing her razor sharp teeth.

"Creoles have very a distinguishable scent and taste. Even when they are reborn into this life of vampirism some of that scent still lingers on their bodies." I guess that made some sense. I could see how some blood would smell and taste sweeter than others which would also have a great affect on the scent.

Yet there was something that simply didn't make sense here. Vampires had the uncanny ability to heal in rapid succession. It looked like his body didn't even bother to heal. Even torn apart in pieces he should have been able to regenerate although he would have been badly scarred for eternity.

"Why didn't he heal?" The only one that could have answers to his enigma would be her. I knew she knew what did this. She had warned us to stay away from the mountains but never the nomads we encountered. Laurent ventured into territory that she deemed dangerous and look what it got him. I now knew that her warning was very real.

She gave me a peculiar and funny look. She shot up one of her eyebrows and looked at me confused and torn. What was that suppose to mean? Was there something wrong with my question? Did I stutter again? She shook her head.

"What did your maker teach you?" Okay, that was not the response I was hoping for. Furthermore, why did she have to ask? She knew everything about me thanks to venenum memoria. Carlisle taught me a great deal of things varying from philosophy, history, compassion, love, and camaraderie. Was there something the matter with these subjects?

She sighed annoyed and picked up a severed hand that only had a pinky finger, and a thumb left. "What do you see?" She asked. I knew the answer to my question wasn't going to come easy but if I had to work for it I would. I saw a severed pale hand that only had two fingers left. I could detect the bone that was also broken and dried blood covering its insides and outsides. It was a gory mess much like the rest of this scene. The blood of course wasn't his; it belonged to whatever innocent human victim he made his prey. The blood smelled tainted by the venom that was in the process of absorbing it into his system. Wait a minute. I returned my gaze to the atrocious and bloody bits that were left of Laurent. My eyes quickly wandered over the body hundreds of times and over every remaining body part until I observed one undeniable fact. There was no venom.

"There is no venom." The clear liquid that held small hints of lime green coloring was nowhere to be seen. What happened to it?

"In order for our kind to be able to access our regenerative capabilities we must be in possession of the venom. It is our life force. It is the very toxin that navigates through our bodies and keeps them from standing still. It is the demon that craves the very essence or elixir of life that humans and other animals possess. The better fed a vampire is the more powerful the healing abilities are. Without the venom we could not live. If all venom is removed from our cold bodies than even the neural functions of our brain begin to deteriorate until our minds are gone. This wisdom should have been passed down to you from your maker."

The way she described the venom was horrifying. She made it sound like our venom was some sort of parasite and that we were its hosts. So something took his venom? For what purpose?

"So what happened to it?" She shook her head laughing. Was everything I said either having a comical or negative effect on her? Was I missing something?

"You honestly cannot configure the puzzle?" She shook her head once more. "It seems obvious sweetling."

I reexamined the pieces. I must obviously be missing an obvious fact. Some of the parts that remained had… bite marks and it looked like something took a couple of chunks out of him. Oh no. Come on. You don't mean to say that…

"A-Are you trying say that whatever it was that did this… actually… ate him or his… venom?" Couldn't be, could it? She smiled pleased.

"Drunk, and devoured."

"What could have done this?" Something that eats vampires?

"An abominable beast that rose from shadowy planes long ago of a dark place in our world with a hunger that could not be satiated with the flesh, and blood of man but rather the essence of immortality. A fiend that has no bounds and which species has existed since the dawn of time."

A creature… that eats vampires? Drinks their venom?

I..I… I had nothing… to say.

(Authors Note) – Putting of Bella's name to another chapter, found a better place setting for it. Hope you enjoy. **Please Review.**


	13. Chapter 12

Moriatus

How was I supposed to comprehend all of this? I had always believed with absolute certainty that vampires were the most dangerous corporal beings on earth; even above the werewolves. Vampires were most obviously dangerous for their strength, speed, and lust for blood but also for their incredible intelligence, and sensibility. It was difficult to imagine a beast that bore abilities that could pose threats to our kind. It was even more disturbing to think that it fed on the nutrient that kept us alive; our venom. The bottom line was that vampires fed on humans to survive, and now there was creature that fed on vampires in order to sustain its own existence. Abominable.

My mind had become a web with endless strings that led down dark and deserted roads. They all led into the unknown and held protective gates that I was unable to penetrate. So many questions swam and floated endlessly before me. They became so pressing and charging that it almost caused me to have a headache. Most of the strings lead to roads dealing with _her. _I would have never thought that there could be a person that was surrounded by such a thick wall of fog that clouded her true identity and intentions. For the past week I attempted to unravel her mystical state of being and illuminate the darkness within my mind and find the answers that I sought but of course it all ended in utter failure. But now there was something new I was forced to add to this impossible mathematical equation.

Whatever essence and mysteriousness it was that surrounded her became dim compared to what now lay before me. I could feel the venom dripping off of my teeth that were locked behind my lips. It oozed and dripped into the back of my throat creating pools of curiosity. For once my venom did not thirst for blood, no, it thirsted for knowledge. After all, knowledge is power and I know that the vampire kneeing before me had all the answers that could cause a catastrophe to this enigma.

It was burdensome to take my shaking eyes of the cracked body of Laurent and it took a Herculean effort raising them to observe _her_. My stare must have been an igniting glare of desperation. Everything that I wanted was right in front of me and all I'd have to do would be to reach out and grab it. However, my mind protested against such an act since it might cost me my arm. I could not begin to guess her level of strength but her speed was so blinding that she could most likely tear me in half in the second it'd take me to reach out to her.

I had to think of something else. Physical violence was not the key I could use to unlock this mystery. I would call a physical assault plan… Well… will call it plan "Z". That would leave me with twenty five alternative routes to take. Was I scared of her? My hesitation even in my own thoughts was unsettling. It seemed that my human ancestors passed down their fear of the unknown even to me. But what was there to be afraid of? Was it truly my lack of knowledge that terrified me? I had to think back to that night in Port Angeles when she shoved me up against the wall and drank bits of my venom. I was still eluded by that malevolent and powerful force that seemed to had bound me to that very spot. Was it fear that paralyzed me? No! I tried to strike her but something stopped me. What was it?

"What was it that did this?" I was surprised when the words rolled so easily off of my tongue. I was glad that I didn't return to my previous habit and stuttered my way through the sentence. I saw how her dark red eyes glanced up for only a millisecond and then returned to the body. Was she going to tell me? She'd better! If this thing could bring down vampires then it would mean serious trouble for me and the rest of my family. I had to admit, she did warn us so her intentions must be bound on hunting this thing down. It would also explain venenum memoria. She must have taken my memories because she needed the blueprints to the lands and the mountains. I had thought so prior to this moment but back then I believed her warning to be fake. But now that I knew that it was very real I could puzzle together the first pieces of this broken picture.

"I cannot stress enough to inform you that these woods and mountains are now the battlefield of a monstrous entity that originated from a very, very dark place in time. It would also be prudent to tell you that it is not one of a kind. Then again what is?"

"There're more? But why haven't I ever heard of these things before?" Jeez. There were more? It was hard to swallow the idea that the Volturi wouldn't have started a mass slaughter assault against whatever these things were if they threatened our very existence.

"You are far below the age requirement to recall the ancient events that included these beasts. Furthermore, they are part of a world that no longer shines through the barriers keeping it apart from this one."

I might risk the factor of sounding… well… unintelligent but…

"What?" She chuckled exposing her brightly lit white teeth.

"You are far, far too young. Also, all the vampires that you know off are too juvenile and inexperienced to remember these events including the Volturi."

The Volturi were the oldest vampires known to my kind after little over three thousand years. However, in this very instant I was happy. I don't know if she noticed or not but I tricked her into giving me an estimate on her own age. I had my suspicions but now I could finalize some of them and catalog them away. She said that no living vampires are old enough in order to retain the memories necessary to identify the beast that was now haunting Forks BUT she was well aware of its existence and I KNEW that she knew far more than she led on. So, in conclusion, she was at least over three thousand years old! I wonder what millennium was the dark place in time that she spoke of.

"So.." I was about to speak and try to unravel more answers when it dawned on me. It was like my head was struck by a bolt of lightning when the epiphany came to me. I was ready to ask her more about the vampires that didn't know and those that still did. I became so bound on focusing on her that I didn't even notice. Oh man… For so many years I have felt superior to the students sitting next to me in class, and for so many years have I felt sorry for those that had trouble learning. Now, it seemed that I was the one being felt sorry for.

I thought I had tricked her but in fact in was she who bound me into her web. I had fallen right into her bottomless trap. I was inquiring so badly about what the thing was that destroyed Laurent and when I asked she didn't answer me but instead threw out new bait that I willingly bit. She knew me, and so she knew that I thirsted to know who she was and therefore gave me information that lead me away from the main topic.

I raised my eyes back up to meet her only to find a crooked smile plastered all over her face.

"Such narrow minded and weak word associations coupled with reverse psychology will do nothing but offend me. You should choose your words wisely. You are no match for me in any given situation."

I swallowed heavily. I was surprised that even in my vampire state sweat didn't appear on my forehead and came crashing down like a waterfall. She seemed always to be at least one step ahead of me. I thought I could con her into divulging information in order to satisfy my thirst for knowledge when it was in fact her that built an armored path down another road. She was smart. I can't believe she had identified my back door assessment so easily. I think trying anything else down along that dwindling road would be hazardous so I'd have to refrain.

It wasn't fair. I sounded like a five year old instead of a century old vampire but I didn't blame myself. I understood however that not everybody wished to reveal their secrets and I couldn't force them to either but this was an entirely new situation. There was a creature out there stalking the forests and mountains that was a monumental threat to vampires. In this case it was a danger to me and my family. She should have warned us properly and told us what was to happen before it did. There were a great deal of things that she should have performed and acted upon which she of course didn't. How could she put us in such close proximity to endangerment?

What was she all about? Why did she know things that apparently no other vampires know? Has she truly lived for so many years that she knows things that have long been forgotten by humans and vampires? These questions however sat low on my list of things to uncover. I felt a rage rising within me and bursting through the surface and infusing my streams of venom with anger. We could have been killed. It could have been Carlisle or Alice, even Esme!

What if we would have decided to hunt yesterday or the day before that? Would it have found us? And what the hell is it anyway? My fingers dug into the soft soil that rested beneath them as I examined the puncture marks of razor sharp teeth in Laurent's left over body. This could have been Emmett, or Jasper I thought infuriated. What was even more maddening was how she just sat there and glanced expressionless over Laurent's body like it was nothing. I couldn't detect even hints of emotion. I didn't see any anger or sadness, not even pity. She was a statue that had come alive from somewhere in Greece and had now wandered into our landscape, and a statue didn't have emotions. How could she take this so easily? Was there something wrong with her? The fury within me was about ready to implode. I felt the pressure inside me building and squeezing all the rage up through the tunnel that was my throat.

A growl washed over my lips.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" Her eyes focused back on me. I had finally awoken an emotion within her; surprise. She looked at me perplexed. I saw her eyes glowing and shaking like she was trying to decide if what she just heard was accurate. She cocked her head to the side and raised her chin while moving in a glare to her face.

"Pardon me?" Her voice was low and quite but it had a bitter edge to it. I got up and stood straight on my feet. I bared my teeth at her against the wishes of the voice of reason within me.

"You show up here UNANNOUNCED and UNINVITED and confound us all into a psychotic frenzy until we're about ready to kill each other. More to that, HOW DARE YOU have the audacity to sit there with some cheeky grin plastered on your face and treat me like some sort of fetus or like I'm not good enough to know or understand the holy information that you pertain. You even DARED TO GO AS FAR as assault and attack me, and then you pretend like nothing happened.

WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE? You didn't even have the decency to warn us about some…THING that actually consumes and devours vampires. What the hell were you thinking? AND DON'T EVEN get me started on your ARROGANCE. Sitting there saying _you don't stand a chance against me in any given situation. _YOU DON'T TREAT OTHERS LIKE THAT! You must really live on a very high pedestal! I REALLY hope that you fall flat on your rear one of these days. NO, better yet, I hope you fall on that big and stuck up mouth of yours so it can be shut up! Really though!! Do you think I'm not good enough or do you honestly believe to be better than me?"

Oh my god! Did that really just happen? I actually felt like I was out of breath. I heaved for more air to fill my lungs so I was refueled just in case there was going to be another round. While I screamed and hissed at her she slowly rose to her feet and crossed her arms over her purple pedal like shirt. She didn't even interrupt me once. It felt mind blowing to unleash all the fury and built up frustration that was hidden within me. Although, my frustration and anger soared even higher while I screamed since her lips pulled into a dazzling smile as she watched and listened to me. She wasn't taking me seriously was she?

I held my irate facial features and glared at her. I saw her eyes moving all over my body as she smiled. Suddenly, laughs began emanating from her. She began shaking her head and closed her eyes as she continued to laugh. I was appalled. SERIOUSLY!! Everything I said either upset her or made her laugh.

"There is nothing funny about this." It didn't seem like she heard me and even if she did her laughs didn't decrease. She held up her powdery white hands in defense and seemed unable to stop the vibrations running through her body that caused her so much…fun.

"I do… apologize…reall.. I can't…" She moved her hands over her stomach and laughed even louder. I crossed my arms and pursed my lips watching her. I guessed there was nothing to do but wait until she was done.

Well… its been seven minutes since she started laughing. I didn't make a sound and stood firm on my spot the entire time. At one point she even fell to her knees from laughing so hard. Her voice was so light and had so many chiming like qualities to it. I tried to stay angry and ready for another screaming session but the soft and singing like voice that played from her vocal cords was soothing, and even tantalizing. It was like she was ringing bells of serenity, and allowed the waves to penetrate my body and smoothen out my feelings and return them back to what they were before.

She had gotten back to her feet and was still experiencing small and short laughs leaving her lips. She patted her chest and looked at me amused. Grr… How could anyone be so infuriating? I waited impatiently for her to recollect and tapped my fingers along the sides of my arms. She exhaled like she was exhausted from all that wasted energy she just spent on laughing.

"I have to admit young one, you do have great courage." I closed my eyes and cocked my head to the side annoyed. It was yet another very arrogant statement. She seemed to be full of them. Who does she think she is?

"I believe if it were not for laughter I would have turned to a pillar of salt a very, very long time ago."

"Oh enough." I pointed my index finger at her. "I really don't care. I want you to tell me what it was that killed Laurent so I can warn my family, and so we can take protective measurements."

"Alright."

"You're damn right alright. We…? What?"

She put her hands in the pockets of her long black and sleek coat, and glanced at me more amused than before. Alright? She said alright? So…was this battle won then? I half way expected her to rip me to shreds actually or to throw me up against the mountain, bury me, set me on fire, and the list continued.

"Long ago we called them the _Moriatus._ However, in these modern ages they have become known as…Gargoyles."

Gargoyles? They were real? Suddenly I had to think of a grotesque statue with bat like wings. I knew that centuries ago they were used by the church to lure more humans into their religion by form of messengers. They were also measures of protection that humans fantasized about that made sure evil would stay out of the church. Yet another supernatural being that was apparently very real. It wasn't very hard for me to except that such creatures could exist. After all, I' am a vampire.

"It eats…vampires?" I looked to her for more information and was glad when I received it.

"Not exactly. They are not interested in our body's sweetling but rather the very essence that grants us immortality. They have always lusted for the scent and taste of venom. It urges them on, and gives them strength as it does with us."

I could somehow process this and understand why they would want venom but it still eluded me. The venom was a powerful elixir. It was the missing link for humans to unearth the existence of vampires after all. Humans disputed our existence by use of science and mathematics with clear equations and hypothesis's. If they were aware of what venom was and what it could do then I was sure they would question their theories.

"Why isn't it that we don't know about them? How could they have stayed hidden from our sight for so long?" This was confusing indeed. If these Moriatus or Gargoyles were so powerful and lethal then why haven't the Volturi or any other vampires for that matter discovered them?

"They are very few in number." Her clear bell like voice shed light into my pool of darkness. I suppose that made some sense. But…still…

"They seem to be very powerful. How could they have been reduced to such a state?" I detected hints of impatience in her eyes. It seemed that she didn't wish to discuss this like she was trying to hide something once more.

"We hunted them to the brink of extinction much like the Children of the Moon. I would not be surprised if the one here was the last of its species."

"Who are us?" I immediately went for the obvious question. I knew it wasn't the Volturi although they are responsible for the almost entire annihilation of the werewolves. She drew a small smile on her face and shifted her eyes to somewhere behind me.

I jumped around with angst and fear pulsating in my veins. I instantly recalled the vision of some stone like thing with wings. If it had returned then I needed to be prepared and I wasn't! I didn't know anything about this thing concerning its fighting capabilities nor how to defend myself. If there even was a defense I thought sheepishly. There was nothing.

The forest seemed quite and at peace. There was nothing detectable in the air. But the last time that thing flew over us there were no scents, and here in this small clearing there were no aromas either. Did it have a natural scent? What was she looking at if not some ancient beast that could mean the doom for the both of us? Was she only trying to distract me again?

I blew out an annoyed and desperate puff of air and turned back around to face her with my lips pursed once more. Her facial features had gone blank though with a sharp edge to her eyes. Those dark crimson… beautiful eyes were still fixed on the trees behind me. Was there something I've missed? I didn't see, hear or smell anything. Perhaps… our senses improved over times as well?

"What is it?" I questioned her fervently. If there was something traveling towards us then I wanted to know about it so I could take a defensive stand. I couldn't rely on her even though she… she seemed to have protected me. My breaths came to a sudden halt.

_(Flashback)_

"_I just preserved your lives."_

_"From what? We could have taken them easily. We outnumbered them. Besides, we didn't ask for your help. Carlisle here could have handled everything just fine."_

"_I was not referring to those imbeciles."_

_(Flashback End)_

What if the only reason she was in the area that day was because of that thing? I'm sure she was trying to hunt it down and destroy it. What if it caught our scent or even followed the nomads who in turn lead it straight to us. We would have been completely taken off guard. I wonder if ten vampires would have been able to take it down. What if she… what if she spoke the truth? What if she came to protect all of us that day from the nightmarish creature that could have torn and devoured us? But why didn't it attack her? She was a vampire after all. Why not go after her? By all rights it should be the gargoyle hunting the vampire instead of the other way around. There were black spots in this theory… but it shined brightly.

"Your precious family is arriving."

What? Alice! That was the only way. The fluctuations in her visions must have returned when she watched for my future. I was surprised to find that her vision was rather late but regardless of that I could only imagine what they were thinking. They must have found my car. The car door was open, the window cracked from my slamming the door, and it was still running. I had to make sure this wasn't going to turn ugly. If I was right about my new theory than she was here to protect us, and not to harm us; it was a long shot I realized. I was afraid what Jasper or Emmett might do. Jasper had still lingering pockets of agitation whenever he thought of her. Emmett was always up for a fight but if Carlisle was with them I was sure we could negotiate a peaceful outcome.

I heard them now. They were still about a mile out but closing in fast. It was amazing that she was already able to hear them from so far away. I reached out and threw my hearing out towards the woods. There were no animal in the area; strange. I could hear five distinct pairs of feet which meant that someone was missing. My first thought was that it might have been Esme.

"They are not very pleased." I turned back around and saw her draw a dark look upon her face. She was prepared. Oh no. I couldn't let this turn to a fight. Carlisle's war stories about the ancients taught me that they are a force to be reckoned with and should never be challenged.

"Wait a minute. How do you know they aren't…pleased?" How could she possibly know that? A dark crooked grin pulled up on the side of her face.

"Their movements are fast, their steps are deep and stampeding, and their breaths are very rapid. I have been in this game a very long time, and know when someone is after me."

Damn. They were only seconds from reaching us now. I had to think of something and I had to do so fast. Carlisle was my only option. The others would listen to him. I HAD to get to Carlisle. But what would I say? Would I have enough time? No… no didn't.

Through the trees came a rustling and swishing like noise when Carlisle, Rosalie, Alice, Jasper, and Emmett came stomping through the mushy green vegetation and entered the clearing. This was not looking good. Rosalie, Jasper, and Emmett had _if looks could kill_ stares and attitudes to match. Their thoughts were bound on protecting not just me but all of us. I had been right. Alice had a vision of my abandoned car and parts of a vision where this ancient had taken me to the ground. Jeez, they were hysterical especially Esme. Carlisle had convinced her to stay behind just in case they needed help later. Carlisle wasn't all too happy either. He was rather upset with me defying his wishes and following and confronting her.

"Jesus." Carlisle exclaimed when his eyes found the mutilated body of Laurent. Alice and the others broke of their glares of death as well and were at awe over the scene before them. As I suspected, their first thoughts leaned directly towards her.

Carlisle took a hasty step forward with his vision bend on the body. I was about to speak and take this chance in order to keep this peaceful when I heard a swishing sound in the air current around us. I turned and saw how she moved her one arm up and brought her thumb and middle finger together. She snipped her fingers.

"WHAT THE!" I jumped back and ran into Alice with my back as at the sound of her snipping fingers the remnants of Laurent caught fire. The flares appeared out of nowhere and consumed every single little thing that had belonged to the once Creole vampire. How did she do that? Carlisle backed up several feet as well when the blazes grew bigger. He didn't get the chance to examine the body and was displeased over it.

"I would not want for you to see the horrific judgment I brought upon this vampire." WHAT? What was she talking about? She didn't do this.

"YOU did that? TO HIM?" Rosalie hissed at her. Why so defensive? She didn't even knew who Laurent was. Besides, out of all us it was her that was complimented with the Guinevere comment. _Her_ snow white cheeks turned into a dark and menacing smile.

"Yes." She whispered low and dangerously. SHE WAS LYING! Why was she taking the blame? I backed out of Alice who I had accidentally mashed up against a tree. I didn't even notice her clawing my arms and shoulders trying to get free. I walked towards her but only to turn around and face the others. I put up my hands trying to defend her. Who knew this night would turn out like this?

"NO!" Before I could even begin Jasper and Emmett already bared their teeth. Their thoughts and conclusions were all wrong. They thought that she planned to do the same to me as she had done to Laurent. "STOP." I screamed at the top of my lungs.

"LISTEN TO ME!! SHE'S LYING. SHE DIDN'T TO THIS. PLEASE BELIEVE ME!! I DON'T KNOW WHY SHE'S TAKEN RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS BUT IT WASN'T HER! CARLISLE HELP ME." My pleas went unanswered. Emmett, Jasper, and Rosalie took several advancing steps towards us. Carlisle was torn asunder in his emotional state, and what to believe was even more difficult for him. He didn't want this resulting in a fight though and that was crystal clear. He joined my side.

"Rosalie, Emmett, Jasper enough. There is no need for this. We came here to secure Edward and prayed that he would be unharmed. We have done so and there is no other reason for us being here."

Jasper snarled.

"That is NOT TRUE Carlisle. As long as she is in this vicinity she poses a threat. Just look what that…MONSTER did to that other vampire. She is a greater threat than you would like to believe Carlisle. Your dogmatic ways on this are useless. This is my decision and I choose to act on it." Jasper was acting on impulse. All he could think about was protecting Alice, and Emmett was just the same.

"I concur." Emmett growled under his breath.

No, no, no, no this was going all wrong. I saw how fast she was. Who knows how much stronger she is!! Didn't they see how she started that fire like she could manipulate some otherworldly force? I didn't even tell them how she was able to paralyze me without even touching me in Port Angeles!"

"JASPER, EMMETT, ROSALIE!! SHE. DIDN'T. DO. THIS!" I yelled at them and hissed back when they growled for me to move out of the way. I couldn't believe that they wouldn't even listen to Carlisle of all people.

"It is very noble of you to defend me Edward." She murmured under her breath. WHY? WHY WAS SHE DOING THIS? She didn't even crouch or take any other defensive measure. No!

"Children please! Enough of this already. You can't.." Carlisle tried his best at attempting to reason with them once more but it was too late. Rosalie, Jasper, and Emmett had catapulted themselves off the ground and flew through between us and headed straight for her.

"NO!!"

(Authors Note) - I don't know about you guys but when I reread the part about Edward accidentally smashing Alice up against a tree behind him I got this hilarious mental picture and am still laughing. I could see Alice pinned up behind him trashing her arms around and murmuring unheard curses ;-)! Hope you enjoy. **Please review.**


	14. Chapter 13

Philosophies

They had been so quick to decide. There was no room for reason or perhaps indecision. The incoherent thoughts that rattled around in their empty heads were screaming statements that were undeniably false from my point of view. It was unbelievable that not even Carlisle's place as leader and stern words of compassion could tame my brothers and sister. The rage that was ignited within them was born from the flames of protection and worry concerning their kin. Alice's vision had leaded them down a path that should never be traveled unless you know the way through the dark abyss.

Everything around me became like a still shot out of a movie. It was like the molecules around us moved at a much slower ratio and transformed the transpiring scene into a clip of slow motion. Carlisle and I tried to stop them but there was not even an ounce of leniency nor hesitation in their paces. Their eyes drew shadowy curtains beneath their pupils that had turned pitch black. They all had but one target and that was the ancient one that stood behind me.

This was not good. The memories of Carlisle's tale concerning the age old wars and vampires flashed before my eyes. These vampires were much like royalty. They had seen things that we could not even imagine, and things that we knew nothing about. The things that were known were shrouded by uncertainty and darkness. As the memories flashed before me I could remember one better than any other. Carlisle could not stress enough that if we were dealing with a being that was not supposed to exist anymore that we would be confronted with an instinct that was millennia old. These instincts would be so foreign and unpredictable that vampires in the past most literally tip toed around these ancient ones.

In the millisecond it took me to remember Carlisle's words Rosalie, Emmett, and Jasper dashed between us as nothing but perhaps a strong breeze. As I turned to follow their heading I could almost see tears of fear leaking from Carlisle eyes. His face was horror striking as his children flew to what could be their doom. They weren't worried. One against three, and that was all they thought about.

How naïve they were. How could they put numbers above strength; especially Jasper? It was true; numbers did help in battle but a great many times they never won. I felt a shiver run through my entire being that shook my insides furiously like it was trying to warn me. I had no hope for them. I was certain that she was indeed an age old wise one that came from a world that we could never comprehend, and now my brothers and sister were about to stumble into it. While they'd stumble they would fall into a pool of molten lava that would melt their bodies and incinerate them.

The two seconds it took for them to pass between us and my thoughts to become a spiraling mess of fear and panic the slow motion like scene did not affect _her. _

There were but a few meters between my siblings and the titan that came from the old world. I had caught a glimpse of her face just before Rosalie, Emmett, and Jasper blocked my view. Her eyes were closed and there was a dark smirk pulling up on her face. It was like she was waiting, like they weren't moving fast enough for her. Oh my God! What had I done? I had lead my family into this lionesses hunting ground. The seconds passed us so slowly that every fraction of them seemed like hours to me. I had never felt my thoughts washing through me so fast.

She opened her eyes. This was it. Jasper, Rosalie, and Emmett were in reach. Emmett opened both of his big arms and went for the obvious newborn strategy. He was going to try to encircle her and literally squeeze the venom right out of her. Jasper jumped slightly and straightened his arm and was ready to elbow her. Rosalie pulled back her hand and prepared her claws to dig into her skin. They all spat ferocious growls at her.

When she opened her eyes the dark smirk disappeared and evolved into a straight line of menace. While my brethren seemed to be moving in slow motion her pace was perfectly normal. She lifted her arm and pulled it behind her until she slapped it back forward and…

_CRACK!_

It sounded like a loud thunder or a malevolent lightning bolt that had just struck the ground before us when she waved her hand from one side to the other. I even maneuvered my hands over my ears because the strike sounded so humongous. Suddenly I saw Rosalie, Jasper, and Emmett flying right towards me. I quickly hopped out of the way and felt the pressure in the air when Rosalie flew by me and almost collided into me. It was the same for Emmett and Jasper. Carlisle had fallen to the ground purposely as he watched Emmett glide over and above him.

Then there was another cracking sound but this one was no where near as loud as when _she _with but one wave of her arm neutralized my siblings. Emmett with his back had crashed into a tree. On contact Emmett released a howl of pain as I watched in horror as cracks appeared all over his face and what looked like a lighting bolt travel up the tree. The large crack reached the branches and leaves that shook violently and broke off the large branches causing them to fall to the ground. The leaves were rustling as their spines broke and began flying and sliding towards Emmett. He sank in the soft soil spot he now sat in and whimpered as his features turned into a mask of sheer pain.

Suddenly I heard the noises of what sounded like a glass shattering explosion behind me. I turned around blindingly and just caught the glimpses of Rosalie smashing into a large boulder. On impact the boulder cracked badly and released clouds of dust and small pebbles. Rosalie cried agonized as also her face cracked. Her face almost resembled the partial face of Laurent and the deep claw marks that ran across it. Rosalie fell over and hit the ground while low whimpers rolled over her lips as well.

"JASPER!" I heard Alice's pained scream and turned around quick enough to see Jasper crashing through a thick wooden branch. The branch broke off and then spun like a propeller as it released mists of sawdust. However it seemed that Jasper was waved off the hardest since his fall wasn't complete. After the branch snapped in half he flew a bit further and dug into the ground when his back made contact. It looked like the dirt and bits of grass were trying to flee his sight as the force of the blow pushed him deeper. Much like Rosalie and Emmett's faces Jaspers cracked as well. But not only that I could also hear other spots of his body break that seemed to have been damaged as well.

With but one wave of her hand…they were…defeated. They all lay motionless on the ground and exhaled whispers of pain as they whimpered. Even though they launched a frontal attack she was able to fend them all off with one single blow. I couldn't believe that a vampire could have such a destructive force.

I turned away from my siblings and looked back at _her_; my face was shaking unbelievably. She had not moved one inch since they catapulted themselves towards her. The only thing different was one of her arms that was raised in the air. It was the source of unimaginable power she had used to dispose of three mature vampires with one single wave. Her eyes were closed again as the rest of her features showed a blank expression.

Suddenly I felt my fingers trembling like never before. I brought them up to my face to see them shaking violently as if electricity had just struck them. I balled my pale hands into fists but couldn't get the shaking under control. My entire being had been literally scared asunder with the event I had just witnessed. I looked back up and returned my golden glance to her. From beneath the long and thin lashes that covered her eyes she slowly showed her iris's again and it was like they were glowing. The opening was nothing but a slit yet I could see the glimmering and radiance that her eyes expelled. It was like some other force had taken over and had given her strength that should not be reckoned with. You could literally feel the power and indescribable might that now flowed from her and penetrated every part of me.

I couldn't get it into my head. Were the ancients truly this strong or was there something else behind this eluding energy? I couldn't believe it, I wouldn't believe it even though I had just witnessed it myself. One… one single wave… but with a simple gesture she had… she had taken down three vampires. Not only that, but these vampires were mature and had fighting skills; especially Jasper. Emmett's strength was absolutely useless to him. It was something he had always prided himself in. He had always been stronger than regular vampires but now… his strength completely failed him and he was whisked off like a small child.

"Edward. Edward? EDWARD!" Carlisle's panicked voice brought me back to the realm of the living. It was like he had to fish me out of the sea of thought I was drowning in. I finally managed to turn my head to look at him but only to see the face of a man who looked like he had just seen a ghost… or worse.

"You go check on Rosalie, NOW." Carlisle didn't wait for my response and rushed down to meet Emmett who was still lying on the ground, twitching. Alice was just a bit further into the forest hovering over Jasper. It seemed that he had been the first to be incapacitated. Through Alice's eyes I could see the largest and most dominant of his wounds. There was a deep and blue like bruise covering his right cheek where her hand must have hit him. He shared this trait with Rosalie and Emmett.

I quickly trailed to the destroyed rock to find Rosalie resting in the rubble. She was motionless and whimpered. I breathed heavily and nervously. I stretched out my arms and slowly and gently wrapped them around her to sit her up. She screeched when I moved her and immediately halted my action. Rosalie's body began to shake uncontrollably when louder cries began slipping over her tongue.

"I'm sorry Rose. Just hang on." I tried to comfort her as best as I could. Rosalie's injuries were severe as well. It seemed that it wasn't just her face but also other parts of her body appeared to be broken or cracked. The strange thing was though that her wounds had not yet begun to heal. The occasional wound a vampire would endure mostly through another vampire is usually gone within seconds. The healing attributes of the venom were remarkable and caused swift recoveries but the wounds that _she _had inflicted on Rosalie didn't even seem to be healing at all. Now being closer to her I could distinguish more of the damage that was done. Much like Jasper Rosalie had a rather sever crater of a crack on her right cheek that caused more cracks to spread like roots across the rest of her features.

"Rose?" Her eyes slowly opened at the sound of her name. It looked like she even had difficulty with something as simple as opening her golden orbs which were black as the night. The deep purple bruises beneath them were even deeper than I had ever seen them. Basic knowledge of our kind told me that in order for her body to heal she would need the assistance of her venom, of course, but she hadn't fed in days, and according to my ancient friend the healing capacities of the venom depend on the amount of blood in our system. Could this be why her body showed no signs of regeneration? Would she have to feed first or would the venom heal her regardless but at a much slower pace?

"I..I..I'm..go-goo-good…Carlisle." Carlisle had run over to assist Emmett who tried to make it appear as if he was okay but I doubted so very much, and my suspicion was proven correct rather quickly. Emmett got up from the ground while I could hear his teeth grinding together to keep the screams from echoing out of his mouth. Carlisle's hands rested on Emmett's back and his stomach. He was trying to give him as much support as he could. As soon as Emmett stood on his own to feet his knees started to buckle and his face turned into a mask of sheer pain. His teeth unlocked and an excruciating cough erupted from his throat while small bits of venom flowed from his mouth. He couldn't hold his stand and crumbled back onto the ground and into the arms of a horribly worried Carlisle.

Jasper was even worse. His head rested in Alice's lap who was worried senseless. He didn't even dare to move but just laid there and breathed in, and out very heavily. It sounded like he had difficulty breathing. Also he coughed much like Emmett and small amounts of blood and venom flew out of his mouth which caused Alice even more distress. She patted his head and tried to whisper soothing words into his ear but they couldn't link with Jasper. He didn't even hear Alice in this instant.

_Po-ower….such….pow-er…_

Jasper could tell his enemies strength with but one dance, and in this case he didn't even get a chance to touch them even once. It was disturbing to think that an experienced and skilled vampire like Jasper could have been taken care off so easily.

_Ed…Edward… She isn't…li-ike..the rest.. of us… I..ha-ave.. never heard…nor experien-ced.. a vampire with…a magnitude..of..st…strength.. like..he-e-hhers… _

Even Jaspers thoughts were completely distorted. It seemed like her blow hadn't just injured his physical being. Not like the rest of us? How many millennia does a vampire have to live in order to gain such tremendous strength? I don't even think that Aro or any of his brothers could be capable of this? I wondered what dark place in time she had come from. She had said that the Moriatus or the gargoyle had arrived from planes that were once covered in shadow so who's to say that she didn't come from there either? How old was she? WHO WAS SHE?

"Tsk…tsk…tsk…tsk…" I looked up to see where the strange noises were coming from and saw her slowly taking one step after another towards us. Her head was low and directed at the ground while she shook it and grasped her hips.

"Carlisle…Carlisle…Carlisle…" She slowly raised her eyes and I had expected them to be still glowing with that mysterious crimson aura but they had gone back to normal, and were those dark red rubies again. She shook her head with a taunting and disgusted smirk covering her lips and stared at Carlisle.

"Carlisle…to have bred such disrespectful and… ungrateful children…" I looked to Carlisle. He held Emmett close in his arms and stared right back at her. I could see the anger glistening in his amber iris's like it wanted to flow from his eyes like tears. There was rage within Carlisle. I had never seen him truly angry before but there was something about her that caused fountains of supreme rage to spring from him. Carlisle shook his head and copied her disgusted smirk and returned to observe Emmett and draw circles over his wounds as if wanting to urge his body to start the healing process.

"Monster…" A low whisper escaped over his lips as he continued to caress Emmett's wounds.

"You belligerent fool. How dare you make such a naïve sentiment?" She immediately countered Carlisle's imposition.

"You would not call this monstrous? What you have done to them?"

"I merely took precaution in order to shield myself from the attack of your weak and impudent offspring."

"If you had not graced our lands and taken steps to assure an attack then perhaps all of this could have been avoided." Carlisle's words became more and more angry.

"And what steps might have taken that would lead to such an atrocity?"

"There are a many things you have done to ensure our mistrust in you. You have been wandering on our hunting ground and more to that, you attacked my son. You must be intelligent enough to see that such acts would ignite the fires of doubt within us."

"I only took what I needed. Your pathetic and absolutely meaningless assessments deserve no justice. You know nothing of the evil that now inhabits the grounds on which you hunt your rodents." Her entire face drew a shadow of disgust as she said her last word: "rodents". When she spoke of the evil she must mean the Moriatus. Carlisle didn't know about that just yet. He noticed her reaction as well.

"I am sorry that you seem to be repulsed at our way of life but we choose to live peacefully with humans and not make them our…dinner. I understand that you must come from a place where such a life is practically nonexistent but here in the western hemisphere it is not unheard off. We aren't the only ones that chose such a life style." Carlisle was referring to Tanya's family in Denali. Our cousins also distained from drinking the blood of humans and took the alternate route to absorbing the essence of other animals instead.

Suddenly a dark chuckle began sounding from the ancient one as she clasped her hands together and laughed towards the sky. It seemed as if it was with me it is with Carlisle as well. All we ever said either upset or amused her.

"Such youth. Such modernism. Such gullibility. Ha ha..ha." Carlisle and I exchanged a nervous and disturbed glance between one another. Unlike my brothers and sister Carlisle planned on taking this conversation as slow as he possibly could while watching and thinking over every single word he spoke before he'd even say it. Like I he was convinced that she was in fact a very, very, very old soul.

"Whatever made you believe I was disgusted by your diet?" Not our diet? She was still looking at Carlisle and laughed even more. Apparently there was something more going on here than just the primary discussion over blood. There was something else that caused antipathy for her. Her laughs slowed and nearly died away while a weak smile remained on her face. She shook her head as I saw her eyes traveling over Carlisle's form.

"You are by far one of the most arrogant and unsophisticated vampires I have ever met Carlisle."

Carlisle's eyes grew wide and appalled at her dark words. Just as her dark words slipped over her tongue her eyes grew darker as well. She began to move again and advance towards Carlisle very slowly. The way she walked couldn't even be described as walking but rather as levitating.

"You dare call me a monster when it is you that protects the true monsters of this world. The ones that feed of greed, lust, and power. You would dare protect those that are warmongering."

"Ex-excuse me?" Carlisle's confusion was as good as mine.

"Of course I speak of those that carry the true darkness in the depths of their hearts. Humanity!"

Was she wrong? No. There was liable truth in the words she spoke but it would never change Carlisle's view of the world. Carlisle kept a firm face and could not show weakness, not now.

"See what your dogmatic and insolent ways have already done." She lifted her hands and waved them into my and Rosalie's direction as well as Alice's and Jaspers.

"You have created children that are weak and decadent. They still cower beneath the believe of their own existence and consume the philosophy that you have taught them." What? Carlisle remained motionless and continued to stare at her sternly.

"You fail to see the fact that you are not human and the moronic philosophy of humanity will not do well in our realm. By teaching them the new ways you jeopardize their very existence. Others of our kind will not see your ways lightly."

"Is is so wrong to want to maintain and preserve life?" Carlisle had finally had enough and could no longer hold his tongue.

"You are a vampire. You do not preserve life unless of course lesser animals to you are not life forms."

Carlisle exhaled sharply.

"I could not bear the thought of taking human life. The guilt and sorrow that could follow would tear me up inside." This had been Carlisle's true philosophy for centuries.

"So instead of taking the life of evil creatures that threaten the destruction of our beloved Gaia you would murder those that only take what they need?"

"I agree that humans have much to prove and much to learn…" Carlisle was interrupted.

"IT IS YOU THAT HAS MUCH TO LEARN YOUNG ONE! You dare strut about your life ignoring the very fabric that shapes and forms your existence while entertaining the fools hope that you may gain access to the light. You are a vampire! As I have already divulged to your son, one day you will have no choice but to become what you became. There comes a time in all of our lives when the need and the urge for blood is more powerful than your impudent mind could ever IMAGINE! You must face the very fact that YOU ARE A KILLER!

It matters not if you take the lives of elk, deer, lions, or any other earthbound creatures. By taking their life force you are draining this earth of the creatures it has created and proving the very foundation of our existence. Your arrogance lies not in the diet you choose, nor does it truly glorify your way of life but your subconscious believe that the animals on which you feed are of lesser quality than humans is what really thrives my desire to shred you asunder!"

Carlisle was quite as was his mind. Alice while being at first very watchful over Jasper had focused all of her attention to this very scene, as had I. _Her_ anger came from somewhere deep inside of her. It was Carlisle's way of living side by side with humans and coexisting peacefully with the tyrants that would one day undoubtedly destroy our home that caused this…rage. But…Carlisle never thought that other animals are less important than humans. I mean… true that some of them aren't…well… I don't know.

"Your way of life has existed for countless eons Carlisle. You are not the first to ever choose this path. Once, a very long time ago, I walked the road that you now inhabit. But I saw the error of my way."

What? So she wasn't that different from us. If I heard right and I'm presuming that I did then she once fed on animals much like we do now. But why did she stop? Why would she choose to witness the horror and the screams that followed from taking the sustenance she needed from humans?

"By drinking the blood of cattle I gave humanity free reign. I took the blood of the most innocent creatures upon this earth. The creatures that care not for inanimate possession or money are not the ones that deserve this fate. Pure beings that care for nothing but love, family, and the joy of everyday life should not be our targets. It is humanity that is our food source. It is true that some are very compassionate and care for the forests, oceans, animals, and the nature of our world but in the grand design of things; I would much rather devour an evil human than a lioness that does nothing but care for her cubs."

The atmosphere in the clearing became silent and not even the whimpers of Rosalie, Jasper and Emmett could be heard anymore. Was she right? All the years Carlisle spent devoting his life to preserve mankind… was it all in vain? Were humans really that evil? It seemed like a dumb question. There are many that were…nice and graceful but in the end..? Would they care for their home? Would they give their energy to preserve these lands and the woods, the rivers…everything? Her words were so extreme that it had even Carlisle questioning his four hundred year old life now. I knew that no matter what anybody would say Carlisle would never take the life of a human but…his mind was chaotic and filled with endless doubt. There were so many images flashing before his eyes of all the darkness he had observed over the past few centuries that were spread by mankind. He had to remember the shivers he had experienced with the wickedness that was released by humans over the years.

I heard a rustling noise that woke me from my thoughts and found its origin in her pocket. She had reached one hand down in her pants pocket and pulled out a small brown squared piece of paper. The paper was trapped between her index and middle finger. I wondered what this would be about. She flicked her hand and the paper exploded into its full length. It was a whole page. She held it up and showed it to us. It's content was strangely familiar.

_Some of the oldest mentioned names. These are of legends that are as absurd as some human myths regarding to fairies and other such nonsense._

_Apotamkin_

_Celest_

_Conterra_

_Kao-Guojiu_

_Olokun_

_Pilirin_

_Rusalka_

_Tamula_

_It's a page out of my book. How did she obtain it? Through Edward's memories she might have found out about its existence though... She was in our house? When? How?_

Carlisle's thoughts were accurate. It was the missing page out of the book that he did yet not know about. Why did I even think it was Carlisle who had taken it out? Suddenly the memory of that strange and obscured smell of burned fire entered my thoughts. Once more it was as if my subconscious mind was trying to relay a message to me. She had snipped her fingers and fire appeared out of nowhere. Fire! It was the only element that could dispose of our scents instantaneously. She had taken it… but why? The only reasonable explanation was that there might be some truth to those names. Could those vampires have once existed or better yet, still exist?

She took another step towards Carlisle and was not within reach. She looked down upon him with an infuriated expression. She held the parchment tightly between her fingers and began to speak again.

"If you ever recreate this page in any form or any way I will become your merciful liberator. Some things are not meant to be known!" And with that the page from the vampire index caught fire. Carlisle sighed noticeably as he watched a priceless piece of knowledge fade away to dust. The fire burned between her fingers but she didn't even flinch. It was like the fire was her consort. Her arm dropped back down to her side as the ashes from the page snowed down unto the ground. She gave Carlisle one last crooked grin before turning away and walking to the opposite side of clearing, and towards the shadows of the forest.

Once more, there were more questions than answers. A name, a name, a kingdom for a name. The phrase played itself over and over in my thoughts as I held my broken sister in my arms. Surprisingly though I noticed that her wounds looked much better than before. It looked like her injuries were on the mend. Thank goodness I couldn't bear…

_Edward!_

My head shot up at the sound of a new voice entering my thoughts. This was not a voice familiar to my mind yet still familiar. The direction the voice had come from was the one in which she was walking in. It couldn't be. I could never hear her thoughts before… Why…

_Edward! Do not tell them of the events that you witnessed and information that you gained tonight. It might put them in further risk. If you care for them you will honor my wish and divulge nothing. Leave it to me!_

It was her. She was speaking to me or she had opened her mind although I saw no images. How did she do that? She was almost at the edge of the forest when she came to a stop and turned her head over her shoulder to look at me, again. There was a small smile nuzzling its way into her cheeks now.

_By the way, call me Bella. _

She smiled and turned away again to enter the forest.

"_Beyond the stars horizons wait…_

_Reached out their hands all eight did…_

_The weeps of willows are our tears…_

_Forever shall we live… never will we…_

…_fade._

(Authors Note) – Well that's it for this chapter folks. Hopefully you'll enjoy. Please **REVIEW**.


	15. Chapter 14

Unspoken

The winds were swift chilly gusts that blew through the darkened trees and carried the melodic voice of Bella through my face as she quietly hummed her song. And then, much like Port Angeles, I heard a low and growling like whistle as Bella quickly became transparent and disappeared into the woods. At least now I knew that she wasn't a ghost or some vengeful spirit but rather a swift, and what seemed to be omniscient vampire.

Bella… Bella? Bella! Italian I thought sheepishly. The name was…short yet sweet, and admittedly not very old. Of course I had no statistics on how old names truly were but Bella didn't sound millennia old. Even though I had reservations concerning her name I embarrassingly confessed to myself that the name did suit her.

Although… what ever happened to _giving one your name gives them power over you_? Such a medieval and quite abashed belief seemed rather primitive. Could there be a good possibility that the name she whispered to me was in fact not her real name? Painfully, the voice of reason within me attempted to convince my stubborn mind that that was indeed a good observation and quite possibly true.

Though for some alien reason I didn't care. I had a name. A name! There was something I could call…Bella now. I felt like something lit a few sparkling fireworks within in me and my mind was celebrating like it was the Fourth of July.

She whispered her name to me… How on earth did she do that? When first I had laid eyes on her a week ago in the baseball clearing her mental muteness had confounded me into the dusty recesses of my thoughts. How incredibly eluding it was to me that I had met a person that somehow possessed natural defenses against my telepathic abilities, and on top of that seemed capable of sensing whenever I tried to penetrate the shield that protected the essence of her mind. It rather surprised me when her crimson rubies focused solely on me that day after I tried to invade her thoughts. How could she have known…

"Edward!" Once again Carlisle's apprehensive voice echoed throughout the darkness within me like a bird crying from somewhere far above and pulled me back to the present.

"Edward, take Rosalie and carry her back to the car. I don't think that either of them could make it on their own right now."

Carlisle's worried expression traveled between his three injured children. It lay heavily and taxingly upon his heart to see the ones he loved so…broken. It was rather mystifying though to why their wounds were healing so slowly. Just as… _Bella _exited the scene the cracks that were struck across Rosalie's marble face began to heal. The venom was working still. As it healed it brought with it significant sizzling like noises. The cracks on her face seemed to have a hard time with throwing ropes on either side between the craters and trying to pull them together again. It was a strange analogy but it worked for me.

It seemed that the pain slowly eased within Rosalie as I cautiously lifted her up and cradled her bridal style in my arms. It didn't even seem as if she knew what was happening. All of her thought was bend on her wounds and hopes that there wouldn't be permanent damage to her beautiful features; typical.

It was still difficult for me to believe what I had witnessed only moments ago. With but a wave of her hand… I sighed. How can a vampire grow to be so powerful? I thought we were frozen forever in the last stage of humanity we were in before we were turned. Carlisle said that a vampires power and abilities grew over the course of the years but…grow to what?

I had Rosalie neatly tucked in my arms and watched Carlisle as he packed Emmett over his shoulder. Under regular circumstances Emmett would have been far to proud to have ever been carried in such a manner but much like Rosalie he could focus on nothing but the pain that was caused by his battle scars. Unlike Carlisle, Alice didn't have such an easy task.

She managed to get Jasper to stand on his own two feet, shaking, and got his arm around her neck but he was trying to refuse. He smiled weakly at Alice and tried to pry his arm away from around her neck but every time he did so his lips, eyes, and nose would pull into a mask of agony. He was in pain, and the proud newborn general didn't wish to show it to his mate to whom he had always appeared to as so strong.

Jasper tried only once more to get his arm from around Alice's neck before she sighed annoyed and glared at him.

"Oh for the love of…" Alice scooped Jasper off the ground and held him bridal style like I did with Rosalie. He grunted silently and squeezed his eyes shut together.

"Stop trying to be so brave sweetheart. Not for me…" Alice smiled lovingly at Jasper who stared at her with one half opened eye. He didn't like it but if Alice wanted it so he wouldn't object.

I waited patiently until Carlisle advanced forward first. In truth, I didn't really know where we were. When she carried me on her back the scenery flew by me so fast that I couldn't even make out where I was being taken. Carlisle, Alice, and the others must have followed our combined scent in order to find me.

Carlisle… I was going to hear it tonight…maybe...

He took off and into the forest. Alice and I followed closely behind him. All I could manage to remember were flashes and blurs of trees perhaps when she swept me off my feet and carried me over the distance. I wondered how far we had gotten in that short amount of time. The only thing I could every truly see were trees and mountains. Not enough to estimate an exact location.

As we raced through the wet forest Alice's vision lay in the future. Seeing the future and paying attention to where she was going had never been a problem for her though it still seemed strange for her to be doing both of these things at the same time. She much like Carlisle had been stressed to the point where steam might come shooting out of their ears. She attempted to see Jasper, Emmett and Rosalie in the future, healed, and with no permanent damage. She was lucky, and they were lucky, we all were.

They were going to be fine. The scars and cracks that had formed on their faces would heal completely and would leave no traceable mark behind. Also the broken bones they had surely endured would mend as well. I breathed relieved when I saw them walking, and running again in her head.

While Alice's vision lay far ahead in the future, Carlisle's vision was not that far off. He was able to collect his thoughts and emotions and would try to avert from exploding unto me. He was formulating a strategy of questions to quiz me about. They were lined up in a single file line in his mind and ready to jump out at me first chance they'd get. I knew that Carlisle knew I was listening to what he was thinking. Maybe he was doing it on purpose. He had always been skilled in shielding his thoughts from me when necessary. More or likely he was giving me the opportunity to formulate my own thoughts now before he would lay into me later.

Well, jeez… We had been running for the past nine minutes, and still going good. We had already covered several miles in that short time. Bella wasn't just unbelievably strong but apparently even more unbelievably fast.

In my arms, Rosalie was breathing regularly again and truly seemed to be getting better. I risked a small glance down and towards her face and saw that the cracks that had run a course across her face had but disappeared. However, the crater on her right cheek that was caused personally by Bella's hand still looked pretty serious. The venom was able to eradicate the small and more minor injuries but now it would have to work on the most prominent ones. At least Rosalie had stopped whimpering in pain. The venom must have numbed her body in order to perform the maintenance that was extremely necessary.

Finally after another three minutes of running had passed we came to halt at the end of the forest and erupted back out onto the highway. My car had been parked next to the road and they must have turned the engines off.

We loaded Rosalie, Emmett, and Jasper into the back of the car while Carlisle decided to take over the wheel. I sat in the passenger side seat with Alice between the two of us. Her body was turned to the back watching our siblings and her husband while they appeared to be sleeping though I'm sure they weren't.

The car ride home was silent. Alice occasionally reached into the back and would brush her small silver fingers across Jaspers face. Rosalie and Emmett were holding hands while their heads were connected. The sizzling noise the venom made was more gradual now. I could hear it even now as it regenerated their internal structures. If they had been better fed I'm sure they would be almost completely rehabilitated by now.

Even though the wounds within and the cracks on the outside were improved and but completely remedied the large craters they all had on their right cheeks still lingered. It did look better but it seemed that their cleansing abilities would need more sufficient time in order to correctly doctor and recompose those particular wounds.

After no time at all we pulled in our muddy driveway; it had started to rain again. I saw Esme already out by the front door with a frantic expression on her face. Carlisle pulled around and parked right in front of the stairs. I heard Esme tripping down the stairs several times until she pulled my car door open and threw me into her arms.

"Oh Edward," she exclaimed "You will not do that again! I was so worried about you." I hugged Esme back and felt horrible for making her worry so much.

"I'm sorry Esme. I really didn't mean to make you sad."

Esme continued to embrace me and stroke my head lovingly. I heard Carlisle and Alice getting out of the car and opening the back doors. Suddenly Esme gasped and relinquished her hold on me.

"What in the world happened to them?" Her face was much like Carlisle's when he at first saw the severe damage that had been done to them as well. She looked horror striking and covered her mouth with her hand. Thankfully she didn't have to endure the sight of them about fifteen minutes ago.

Carlisle didn't answer Esme but instead helped Emmett out of the car. Luckily he seemed to be much better already and was able to stand on his own two feet again. The same went for Jasper and Rosalie.

"Carlisle? What happened to them?" Esme quickly joined Carlisle's side and put her arm around Rosalie, assisting her.

"What I had feared." Carlisle didn't need to say anymore. Esme understood Carlisle's low and hesitant whisper immediately.

Alice put her arm around Jasper and helped him up the stairs. She was followed by Carlisle with Emmett and Esme with Rosalie. I trotted behind them slowly and threw a glance over my shoulder and at my car. I pursed my lips annoyed when I saw the crack that ran across the driver's site door. I'd have to take it to the shop tomorrow and get a new window installed.

Esme had the house all alit. They helped Rosalie, Jasper, and Emmett to the couch and sat them down so their bodies could recuperate and complete the regeneration process. As soon as I closed the door behind me and turned back around Carlisle stood in front of me. There was a weak smile covering his face while the rest of his features seemed hardened. I swallowed nervously as only one thought entered his otherwise peaceful mind.

_Office._

As I had feared, Carlisle was ready to lay into me. I couldn't blame him though, it was my own doing. I quietly advanced to the stairs and began climbing them and threw a blank look over the living room. Alice stared at me apologetically. He had reason to be angry with me. What happened to Rosalie, Emmett, and Jasper was my fault. All because of my insufferable curiosity.

_Good luck. _I cuckled mentally, and thanked Alice for her words of encouragement?

I'd need it. Carlisle didn't waste any time either. He wanted to interrogate me immediately. When we arrived upstairs the scent of burning fire had gone. I guess enough time had passed for it to evaporate. I felt tense to the coming apocalypse that was assured to me. I rounded the corner into Carlisle's office and saw the small lock that I had left on his desk still sitting there. He must not have had the opportunity to view the stolen page yet.

He closed the door behind us and proceeded to sit behind his desk.

"Have a seat Edward." His voice was calm and rational, thankfully. Perhaps there would be a chance for me to get out of this alive. Carlisle crossed his hands in front of him and then his eyes rested on the broken lock for the very first time.

His pale lips pursed slightly as he picked up the broken iron gate to examine it. He rolled it around in his fingers and blinked his eyes tiredly at it. Carlisle turned in his chair and reached down to his broken drawer that contained the vampire index. He got it out from its hiding place and placed it on the table in front of us. He opened the pages that contained all the secrets of our world and rapidly flipped them to the very back to find the page that had been destroyed missing.

I personally didn't know what to think of it. Bella most certainly didn't have the right to break into our house and steal the information that the book contained and let alone destroy it. However, why did she do so?

_(Flashback)_

_"If you ever recreate this page in any form or any way I will become your merciful liberator. Some things are not meant to be known!"_

_(Flashback End)_

Could those names be THAT important? Aro himself said that those names are from legends of our world that are supposed to be pure myth. Logically, I could only think of two possible solutions to this, and it wasn't very problematic to piece this puzzle together.

One; the vampires that were mentioned on that page were real and left behind remnants that she wished no one to inquire about.

Second; the vampires on that list were real and are still alive today, and want no one to know about them.

Both of these conclusions made sense to me although I couldn't quite picture where Bella would fit into all of this.

"Edward." I blinked my eyes repeatedly as Carlisle returned me out of my trance like state. I had almost forgotten about this sticky situation I had gotten myself into. Carlisle leaned back in his chair while his fingers cradled his chin. His stare was fixed on the torn page that once held those ancient names of legend and that was now gone.

"Why did you defend her?" I felt my cold and stiff body become soft again and sat back in my seat just a little more too when Carlisle's train of thought suddenly changed direction. I wasn't expecting this for a couple of hours, not until all the _chewing _was over and done with.

Why the sudden change of heart? His thoughts had been aligned perfectly. He was going to ask one well thought over question after another until he would receive the answers he wanted. Before even that he had planned to lecture me on risking the safety of the family. So why that particular question, and why now?

"Be-Because she didn't kill the vampire." A small smile appeared on Carlisle's face as he watched me closely from the side.

"I could already figure as much. The wounds I was able to see before the body somehow spontaneously combusted were not made by a vampire. However, I mean why did you defend a complete stranger?"

I was at a loss for words. How was I supposed to answer him if I didn't know the solution myself I thought frustrated. I twisted, pressed, and played with my fingers while I tried to come up with any possible answer that could satisfy him. I had to think back in this instant, think back on when she held me so close to her and all the emotions she caused to whirl around within me. Though her body was so cold I felt incredible warmth, and though her words seemed cruel I knew that they were the exact opposite. Somehow…

"I don't know Carlisle. I just… I don't know." I tried my best to give Carlisle a firm answer but I still sounded a little shaky.

Carlisle seemed perplexed whether or not to take my answer seriously. He was busy rearranging his thought patterns. The answers I had planned for him became useless as new questions arose within him. He was reordering everything. Other mysteries seemed to outshine others and old ones grew dimmer. Carlisle shook his head and physically seemed to wave the subject of why I defended her away.

He intertwined his fingers and leaned them against his mouth. The questions were pouring through him like sand through ones hands. He sighed desperately.

"Why did you follow her after I implored you not to? I told you that she would be dangerous. These ancients are not to be underestimated. Even the possibility to reason with them is but zero. The old ways and histories have taught us so. Why Edward?"

"I didn't go with her Carlisle. I found her walking up the road. I… simply tried to talk to her and get some answers when she literally kidnapped me."

Carlisle rolled his eyes.

"Why would she do that?"

I kept my mouth shut at this point. If I had opened it without words escaping it then Carlisle might have detected I was hiding something. Now would be the time to decide whether or not to tell him everything I learned this evening or trust Bella's word and say nothing in order to protect them. The danger I knew was very real, and I had witnessed what that thing was capable off. More importantly, I believed _her._

"I don't know Carlisle. Before I knew it she took a hold on me and ran."

"She took a hold of you? Is that why the car window is cracked? She forced you to go with her?"

Carlisle's questions were well thought through. On top of that, he didn't believe me. I saw his eyes growing thinner, and thinner until they were only slits. His golden orbs that were always filled with love and compassion had turned solidified with suspicion. Carlisle didn't like it when things were being kept from him when it came to our family, especially when it was a family member that kept a secret from him.

Of course he realized that we all were our own people and didn't necessarily have to answer our ever action to him but as long as we lived under his roof and were part of his family he would expect respect, and trust.

It was beyond frustrating. Why was I guarding her and the illuminating mysteries I learned? It was like something else had taken a hold of me and bound my tongue in strings that could not be severed. It was a strange emotion indeed. It was like I could feel this other entity within me holding me back and manipulating my every word.

Carlisle got up out of his chair. He slowly maneuvered around his desk while caressing the wood with his fingers. He sat on the desk in front of me and crossed his arms, and looked back at me but this time with a smile on his face.

"Edward, it is alright for you to keep things from me even though you have never done so before. You are your own person and I have no right to control your decisions or words in any way. I consider you my son and have done so for nearly a century, and I would do anything for you. But I need you to please understand that if there is something that is threatening the safety of this family then I need to know about it. So, knowing what I have learned from tonight's encounter I can see that apparently there is a danger out there in the woods.

I can also see that it wasn't her that massacred that poor soul. The defensive stand you took against us in order to protect her, a complete stranger, showed me that your mind was entirely set and convinced on the fact that it was not her that committed such an atrocity.

So, in the end, there is only one question I would like to ask you. It is all I want. There will also be no lecturing as you might have thought. You have been alive for over one hundred years Edward, and you are no child and therefore I see it to be imprudent to treat you like a minor.

My question is Edward; did she tell you what it was that killed that immortal? Did she give you any hints or anything like that that might pin point whatever it was that we could be faced with now?"

Darkness approached and laid two roads ahead of me. There were two illuminated paths in the gloomy and shrouded mists of my mind. One road led down a path where Carlisle stood, smiling, and with open arms. The other road was darker, and at the end stood Bella. Her back was turned to me with only her face slightly raised over her shoulder, looking at me. It was one or the other. I now had to choose whom I trusted.

Was it Carlisle? The man that had rescued me from the fatal virus that could have been my end so long ago, the man that had taken me in and had shown me love, and compassion; should I choose my father? Of course I should choose my father. Everything within me clawed and roared to choose Carlisle.

Or…should I choose Bella? A mysterious and unknown soul I knew nothing about. Everything so far let me down the path of dislike when it came to her. She was arrogant, rude, vicious, and who knows what else. Why in the world would I choose her over my family? How could I trust that she had our best interest at heart?

But a fraction of a second had passed since Carlisle asked me. I had to give him the answer now. I didn't want to wait any longer. My mind was such a chaotic mess of maelstroms lately that changed its own course from one second to the next.

But now my mind was clear and I had to act before it would decide otherwise. I chose my maker, and father; Carlisle. I opened mouth to give him this with difficulty decided answer.

"No. She didn't say anything. There were also no traces nor clues to what could have done this." I froze. Was I not all set on telling Carlisle everything I knew? I had just sternly made the decision to spat everything I knew at him. It was like my mouth had a mind of its own. I blinked repeatedly in surprise and doubt as I still couldn't believe that I had choosen Bella over Carlisle. Did I even choose her? NO! I had chosen Carlisle! WHY DIDN'T I TELL HIM _YES?_

_YES CARLISLE. I KNOW EVERYTHING. I KNOW WHAT IT WAS THAT KILLED LAURENT. I KNOW! _

The mere words were nothing but echoes in my hollow mind. Why? Why couldn't I say them out loud? There was nothing rendering me away from this…right?

Carlisle drew a deep and thoughtful look upon his features. His eyes that were hardened only seconds ago became softer until they were a dark butterscotch color again. I could see the light glistening in his eyes like he was trying to see inside of me, to see the truth. I don't think he believed me. Well, by all rights it didn't even feel like it was I who said anything.

Carlisle began slowly shaking his head while looking away from me and towards one of his paintings. There were brick walls now surrounding the interior of his thoughts like he was trying to keep something from me. Unfortunately for him, the walls couldn't keep me out. It was as I had suspected. He didn't believe me.

He got up from the desk where he sat and began a slow decent back around the room to his chair. I knew what was truly troubling him now. Carlisle was saddened by my lack of faith in him, and my lack of trust. He was disappointed that I could not share with him the things he knew I learned. IT WASN'T MY FAULT!

I tried to tell him, I wanted too. Even now, sitting in this very spot I felt like there were evanescent chains strapping themselves around my feet, hands, neck and fingers. They were binding me to this very spot. My voice seemed to be fading away like it was against me too and wouldn't allow me to tell him the truth. This wasn't me. This wasn't me at all. Still, I wanted to tell him. There was something going on here. No, I knew there was something wrong. It was like some other force was intervening.

In the time it took me to grumble and protest over my own actions Carlisle had taken a seat behind his wooden desk again. He was examining the index. He ran his long white fingers along the edges of the torn spine where the final page once rested.

"Are you going to recreate it?" Finally it seemed that I was able to speak again and ask my own question. Immediately after I asked I thought about attempting to tell Carlisle again but in that very moment my entire being became rigid once more. Carlisle chuckled humorlessly.

"I don't think so. Besides, by destroying that _fairytale _document she showed me that perhaps it is not the work of pure myth. In addition, it is not the only copy. The index that resides in Volterra holds the exact same page so it is not entirely lost. More so, it still exists in my memories."

It was a good assessment on Carlisle's part. Unless of course… the copy in Volterra didn't exist anymore either but that was a stretchy reach.

I got up out of my chair. I couldn't stand looking at Carlisle any longer. The grim expression on his face was pure torture to me. How could I have let this happen? How could I have disappointed him so? What in the world was going on with me? What had a hold of me? Was it her? Was it some sort of ancient trick or form of mind control? Impossible! She couldn't be all powerful. There is a limit to all our power.

I turned away from Carlisle and began stalking out the door when I stopped. Perhaps, one last try? I had to see if I could tell him. I had to! I turned my head over my shoulder just like Bella had done on so many occasions. Already she was leaving her marks on me. First the physical ones like the scar on my thumb, and now I was adopting her strange gestures.

"Carlisle?" It pained me to see him sitting behind the desk with his head down in such a sorrowful notion. He tore his eyes away from his book and looked at me with a hard achieved smile.

"Yes Edward?" It happened again. The words that were on their way out of my throat and that wanted to unveil everything to Carlisle were stuck in my mouth. I couldn't let them escape my lips. I wanted too, so badly.

"Have a good night." That was all I could manage.

Carlisle smiled trying to hide his disappointment.

"You too Edward."

I turned away and left his office. I couldn't take this. I flew across the hall and up to my room and shut the door behind me trying to be careful not to slam it. I didn't want to seem disturbed even though for some reason I was. I didn't bother turning on the light in my room. My head seemed filled with darkness and therefore I had to remain in it. I fell onto my black leather couch and covered my eyes with my arms.

What the hell was going on? Why couldn't I tell Carlisle about Bella, the Moriatus, Laurent, and whatever else I had learned? Something wasn't right. It was like something or someone was hearing my thoughts and then controlling my actions and averting me from the very things that needed to be said.

I closed my eyes and allowed my mind to go astray. Perhaps there was something I had missed. Maybe Bella had done something that I hadn't noticed? She was incredible fast after all. Was it something she did while I wasn't looking? No way. The strangest of all things tonight was that I somehow heard her thoughts. Was it there that she might have somehow been able to influence me? It wasn't like I had taken her thoughts from her but rather that she had given them to me.

It sounded like Bella had uploaded some sort of virus into my mind that was slowly gaining control over me. That sounded ridiculous.

As the hours passed I listened to the clicking of the clock. I focused on the bombarding rain as it fired its drops all over the house. I listened to the by humans unnoticed melody as the rain drops outside played a soothing harmonious song. I heard the drops gliding and exploding on contact with the ground while making a peaceful crystal like shattering noise.

I had tried to think about Bella more or why I was unable to speak my mind to Carlisle but eventually reached a dead end. Once more I was in need of more answers, of more information in order to regulate an appropriate hypothesis on this subject. The weather seemed to have favored me tonight.

The outside world sounded so serene. The winds were softly crashing through the trees and making their leaves dance and whistle alongside the low bolting noises of the thunder in the clouds above. It was like nature was singing a song.

How many hours had passed since I isolated myself in my room? Couldn't have been that many I thought depressed.

There was a gentle whistling sound that now entered my small domain. I could distinguish it easily. The sound was solitary and untainted by the melodic noises of the trees, leaves, and rain drops outside. I could almost feel a warm breeze in my room now. Weren't my windows and door closed?

My arms that had been petrified for hours refilled with live as I uncovered my eyes from the darkness I myself created in order to look into the darkness of my own room. My eyes quickly scanned the windows and door and saw that I had indeed shut them. I slowly rose from the couch with my golden gaze fixed on the windows. How could the breeze have come in?

I must be losing my mind. I shook my head with ill fated laughter erupting from my mouth. Suddenly the breeze returned. Its pilgrimage flew it along the edges of my cheek. I turned to where the breeze had come from and saw two emerald orbs staring at me.

I jumped up from the couch and landed on my behind on the floor. I was not alone.

Something dark was watching me with big… green… eyes.

"_Sleeping...spirit..."_

(Authors Note) – I decided to decrease and basically nullify the whole chewing out bit because by all right Carlisle doesn't really need to do that with any of the Cullen's. I mean these people might look like children but we all know there not. Everyone makes mistakes. I was actually bent on having Carlisle say some words of reason to Edward but I thought that would make Edward more like a real 17 year old rather than century old vamp. Weeeell, hope you liked this chapter.

**PLEASE REVIEW**.

**P.S**

**IMPORTANT! I am now offically looking for a Beta Reader. The reason why I'm only updating once a week now is because I always have a lot to do at work and the proof reading is always keeping me at bay. So, therefore, I am now looking for a second in command. Anybody who is interested and has a Beta Reader profile can private message me and submit their interest. HOWEVER! I am very picky person, especially when it comes to my stories. So please, take the following three things into consideration.**

**1. The Beta needs to be following this story and help keep me in line which won't be a problem anyway. But I have occasionally slipped up so it would be nice to have someone that could remind me when I do.**

**2. This person needs to be able to see spelling and grammer mistakes, PLEASE! I see a lot of them after I'm done writing, so I need somebody else to see the ones I surely have missed. **

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**Those are the only three conditions I have. So if anybody with a Beta Reader profile is interested then please P.M me OR BETTER YET, WRITE A REVIEW AND LET ME KNOW. I check my reviews more than my mailbox wich is stuffed with junk mail. **

**Thank ya, thank ya. Hope you guys are still enjoying this story. **

**P.S 2 The thing in Edwards room is not the Moriatus!**


	16. Chapter 15

Memories

A dark and mysterious aura had now entered the interior of my room. There was a foreign electric current running in the stale air around me that set my being on fire with a new fear which I had never experienced before. A low and cold breath blew against my face which caused shivers and anxiety to set sail across my face.

The heavy rain drops that had just poured down on the green jungle of Forks had decreased to become nothing but mere sprinkles. There was a silver layer of mist setting in and surrounding our house. I could almost hear as it screeched so very silently, and was now compressing the very walls of our estate.

However the weather was not the element that caused a great deal of distress for me. There was something in my room, something that emanated with the mysterious and fearful aura I now felt. It was dark, a shadow perhaps that held the physique of a man.

I locked my eyes dead on the two glistening emerald orbs that were watching me intently. I felt my fingers beginning to shake as this unknown entity, man, immortal, beast or whatever it was began to glide forward. My feet scrambled me backwards on the ground. But unfortunately I did not go far. I had already hit the glass wall behind me and seemed to be trapped.

There was something else though… Why did I fear this? Why was I incapable of getting to my feet and facing this head on like I had always done. It was as if there was something telling me to stay down, and stay low. Perhaps it was the same thing that had manipulated my conversation with Carlisle, and that held me back from telling him all about Bella and the Moriatus.

Bella… The name became almost like a plague within my thoughts. It was a swarm of locust that created a wildfire of anticipation within me. Ever since she had decided to grace these lands with her presence all of these strange events began to occur. Did she bring all of this with her?

The shadow began to advance again, and slowly. There was a whisper in the air, a spoken whisper. It was so quiet and so low and seemed to have echoing like qualities to it. This quality made it all the creepier.

"_Sleeping…spirit…" _What did this mean? It had said these words before. When I had first laid my eyes on it I couldn't help but to collapse to the floor out of surprise and shock, and ever since that time it had only ever said those two specific words.

It came closer again. There was something like a barrier now dividing me from it. The moon had decided to show her face tonight and peaked in on my room from between the clouds and created a wall of light between me and the shadow. The emerald fires that were its eyes grew wider with every inch it took closer to me. Any second now…

Any second now… It would emerge out of its shadow and step into the light and I would be able to lay my eyes upon this…this fiend. What would it be? A vampire did not have such eyes, at least none that I knew. The Moriatus?

For some reason I found that hard to believe. The image that entered my mind when Bella first described them to me was not accurate with the image before me now. The shadow was… well it was actually about my height. Exactly my height…

Finally, the shadow moved into the rays of the moonlight. My eyes dropped to the floor as I watched the first layer of darkness lifting from the body.

Oh…my…

Two feet entered the light of the moon and were rapped in white shoes with simple lace. However, it was not this that caused a new distress beacon to convulse my insides. I exhaled shocked and heavily and was able to see my own breath as the temperature in my room dropped.

I was able to see right through its feet. What was I suppose to think about this? It was a trick! I know it is a trick. It must be some sort of vampire talent that is capable of projecting images into the minds of others. Right? Bella! She must be the one doing this. There isn't another vampire in the area besides us and I'm sure that Alice could have predicted the arrival of someone else. Right? I couldn't help but doubt my own conclusions.

The darkness concealing this…entity began to lessen even more. It came closer and the rays of the moon began to reveal the legs of this being that were covered in lose white pants. I could see through them as well. This is ridiculous. What was this suppose to be? There was a thought in the back of my mind which was trying to penetrate my living thoughts concerning this being. I continued to shove it away and back into the dusty corners of my thoughts where it belonged. The thought was wrong.

I..I…I didn't believe in… in...ghosts.

The moon aided my vision even more. Come to think of it. Why wasn't my perfect vampire sight able to pierce the dark? Seeing in the dark was much like for humans seeing in the daylight. It wasn't an issue usually so why now?

The moon traveled further up this transparent body to reveal a chest concealed by a white shirt with a deep V texture exposing the smooth chest of this…man. The sleeves were just as lose as the pants and a little too long and I could only barely see the tips of his fingers.

The light revealed him even more and I would be ready to finally see his face in just a…

My mouth dropped wide open as I gasped. I could feel my own eyes shaking in disbelieve as the darkness disappeared completely and unveiled this strange apparition. Even though I could see right through him and was able to detect my desk and chair behind him perfectly his likeness still seemed somewhat shaken to me. But this minor detail wasn't what grabbed my attention.

This strange thing before me that I was able to see right through was a mirror image of…me.

It looked just like me. But he wasn't a vampire. His eyes were just as green as mine had been when I was human. Even though he was transparent I could see the fleshy color in his fingers, and chest. The only difference between us was that his bronze hair wasn't as messy and unkempt has mine. It was combed neatly across his head. As a matter of fact, it looked much like Bella's style but much shorter of course.

"_Sleeping…spirit…" _His lips moved slowly as he repeated his earlier statement. His green eyes seemed so lost and sad when he said it. He hung his head low and wore a sorrowful grimace on his face while his glance stayed fixed on me.

What does it want?

As soon as the thought entered my mind his head raised and he began approaching me again. I cowered up against the wall, and then it happened again. Somewhere in my head something was telling me that I was not at risk and this was okay but I couldn't fathom why. Was he responsible for these thoughts?

He was within reach now. I looked up in his eyes and saw right through them and at the ceiling. What was this going to be? Suddenly his sad and painful expression disappeared and was replaced by a crooked grin that I had seen only to many times on my own face in peoples thoughts. His arm began to move and he raised it into the air.

My body became stiff like death. I had no idea what to anticipate and yet somehow my thoughts told me to let whatever was going to happen, happen. He pulled his fingers back into a fist and only had his index finger sticking out. It seemed as if he was going to point at something but his finger moved directly towards me.

And there it was! His finger touched my forehead. It was right above my eyes where I felt a cool touch that was just as cold as Bella's.

"_Sleeping…spirit…"_

At the sound of his words everything in front of my eyes became white as snow. I suddenly felt my body jerk violently at this unfamiliar notion. I felt my head moving steadily from one side to the other as I was blinded…I thought. It wasn't just my head that began to move. I felt my arms reaching and trying to grab SOMETHING out in front of me but all I could feel was air moving between them.

I shouldn't have done this. I should not have allowed him to get as close as he did let alone touch me. What the hell did he do to me? I opened my mouth and began to speak but heard no words rolling over my tongue. It was like I was paralyzed.

No matter what I did I couldn't feel, say or hear anything around me. There was only whiteness before my waking eyes. There were no shapes, no…

Wait! There were shapes. They began forming right before me. It looked like they were flying by me. I could finally get the sensation of moving my head again as I looked in their direction and saw them passing by. It seemed…fluffy, and bubble shaped. Clouds! It seemed as though I was flying through the sky? I started to see other things as well. There were points of light, like stars. What was…?

Suddenly there was another white flash right before me and I squeezed my eyes shut this time. All I saw now was the blackness behind my own eyelids. What was happening to me? What did that mirror image of me do? Was it Bella? Was she somehow responsible for all of this?

I was afraid of opening my own eyes now. I didn't know what to expect or what I would see if anything at all. I began to feel my body again. I could move my fingers and toes and felt my chest expanding when I took in my first breath since the whiteness came. I could smell something.

Some way I could detect hints of jasmine, honey, cinnamon, freshly mown grass, sea weed, chocolate, pine, rosemary, lilies, and saw dust. I started to detect noises in the air as well. I could hear the ocean. I heard its crashing waves as they flew up and came smashing back down on its own waters. Hesitantly, I began to open my eyes.

I was in a garden. It would explain the smells. This Eden was absolutely gorgeous. There were white lilies everywhere and bushes filled with purple flowers that looked almost like roses. There were structures as well. I stood on a with red stones covered side walk that led all the way through the beautiful green garden and into the distance where I saw the magnificent sparkling blue.

There were also large columns placed all over the garden with vines that circled and entrapped them like nets with pink roses on them. The columns were white and had what looked like large crescent moons engraved on their tops as peaks. This place was like a paradise. I turned around and noticed that this small garden was but only the tip of the iceberg.

"Whoa…" Behind me was a large white city! From where I stood I couldn't make out much because there were giant, glamorous trees in my way but I did see the largest building in the city which was a solitary tower that appeared to be right smack in the middle. It seemed that this place was made out of white marble stone. It looked beautiful. I also saw a lot more houses, villas, and… elephants? I could see people riding on top of elephants carrying what looked like wood and large buckets. Amazing.

The amazement however had to end because I still had no idea what was going on here. How was I seeing all of this? Had I somehow been transported elsewhere? But I couldn't recall any place on Earth like this. I heard something behind me, and it sounded like steps.

I turned around and saw a young woman coming directly at me. She wore a beautiful white dress that touched all the way down to the ground and was dragging a bit behind her. She also wore a silvery white scarf or curtain was the more appropriate word around her shoulders that also covered her head. The caramel like brown hair looked like a straight waterfall pouring down her head with locks forming at the ends of her strains. Her face was the shape of a heart with rosy cheeks and two large chocolate brown eyes. She was beautiful. She was Bella.

Now I knew that it must have been her. But… She wasn't a vampire in this image. She was human. It was incredible to see her like this. It seemed as if though the venom had no affect on her physical complexion whatsoever. The only difference between this Bella and the one I knew was that the one I met had pale skin and dark red eyes. She was always this beautiful?

I had been so mixed up in my own thoughts that I hadn't even noticed her coming towards me. She did not soothe her pace and kept a steady rhythm. Did she know I was here? She came closer and closer until…

I gasped and touched my chest as Bella walked right through me. It was a strange feeling. As soon as she had made contact I felt immense warmth ignite within me. I turned around still a bit shocked and saw her walking away from me. I don't think she knew I was here. Was I even here? I blinked repeatedly and was still a bit dazed at the warmth I felt and the very strangeness of someone walking right through me.

She continued to walk and was growing smaller in the distance. I decided to pursue her. I hurried after her with human pace so I could take more notice to the scenery around me. It was truly beautiful here. The trees were magnificent and many of them bore shiny red apples. I noticed small streams running through the garden as well. They were glimmering like crystals as the sun shone its rays on them as purple flowers hung over their small waves and seemed to be bathing in their cool waters.

Thinking of sunlight… I raised my hand and made sure to keep up my pace and I was still detecting Bella just a little further up ahead of me on the red stone pathway. My hand did not show any visible signs of faucets that should be shining with the sun heating my cold dead skin. I turned my hand and looked at my palm and also it showed no signs of glimmer. So I wasn't really here was I? No! I think I knew what this was now. I was viewing somebody's memories and I belief that that somebody is Bella. But if these were her memories shouldn't I see all of this through her eyes?

After a short pursue I saw a large oak tree. Its crown was enormous and filled with emerald like leaves. We were on the edge of a cliff now. Even though the tree stood on the very edge it almost looked like it had an arm reaching out over the sea. It was big and strong enough to hold a small temple. It was very small and open, and barely big enough for two people. It had four small columns and a circle shaped roof that stuck out towards the sky. The roof was engraved with stars, crescent moons, and images of the sun.

Suddenly a new thought entered my mind. Carlisle and I had established that Bella was an ancient, and very old. So if these were her memories than this place was more or likely her home. But I truly could not thing of a place that existed thousands of years ago that looked like this. The columns, the advanced architecture seemed completely eluding. I would have to research this and see if there was some ancient society I might have missed.

Bella now ran into the tiny and insignificant temple where somebody else seemed to be waiting for her. I couldn't see who it was since their back was turned to me but the shape appeared to be male. He wore a long white cape that was just like Bella's silk scarf while his other attire was white as well. She passed him and turned around to look at him. Her face immediately lit up as she saw the stranger and pulled her lips into the most dazzling smile I had ever seen.

Her large chocolate brown eyes seemed to be glistening with stars of joy, and flaring fires of pure happiness. It was unfortunate that these pretty brown eyes had now turned so dark, red, and were filled with anger, arrogance, and mercilessness.

Bella looked so happy compared to what she seemed to be now. Her hand reached up and appeared to be touching or even caressing the face of the stranger. Could this possibly be her…well…her l-lover?

The flash returned and the scene before me became white as snow once more.

"NO." I screamed at the top of my lungs. Why? Why did it disappear?

Just as soon as it happened, it happened again and the white flash reappeared and I was back in the garden. Bella and the stranger were gone. It was night I noticed and the winds were gusting uncontrollably. I heard thunder and looked to the sky and saw a pure vision of menace, darkness, and danger. There were large lightning bolts that were loud enough for even my ears to ring.

Suddenly I felt a large tremor in the ground beneath me and that was when the screaming began. From somewhere in the city I heard the screams, and agonized cries of women, children, and of men. The sky cracked and threw a horrifically large bolt right into the big white and lone tower I had observed earlier. There was an explosion as the top of the tower began to descend and fall. This was terrible! The top of the tower glided towards the ground and took out half of itself. There was a loud thud as it collided with the ground and enormous clouds of dust ascended towars the sky.

I heard even more screams of pain, and panic. The bolts became more rapid now and were clashing all over the metropolis. Oh no, the beautiful city… Every time a bolt hit the ground it tore another structure asunder. It was completely destroying the city.

The tremor came back and I heard a leviathan of a crash behind me and turned immediately to face a large tidal wave headed right for the city.

"Oh my stars and garters." From where I stood I guess that that tsunami was going to hit the city within minutes. This was horrible. The forces of nature were at work to cause such a malevolent catastrophe?

I heard fast and steady movement behind me and saw Bella running. She had lost the beautiful gown and replaced it with white skin tight pants, light brown boots, and a sleeveless white shirt with a dark brown belt rapped around her stomach. Her face was red with tears streaming from her eyes as she huffed and heaved while she ran. I thought she was running towards me again but I was wrong when she turned to the right and took another path through the garden and disappeared down to what must have been stairs. I had to follow her.

I began to ran after her and heard a malice filled screech behind me as a thunderbolt struck down the small temple that Bella and the stranger had once stood in. This was so sad. This city was doomed I thought while I pursued Bella. I had no trouble at all keeping up with her this time. She was human now and not some ancient and powerful vampire; yet.

I was right and Bella and I were descending down a flight of stairs. The architecture here was also made of stone with two tridents on each side of the doorway. The artistic designs here were magnificent. It reminded me of Greece.

Bella and I ran through the open doorway to find a small docking bay which held one small brown wooden boat. Bella panic stricken ran towards the boat and jumped into it and even almost fell. She undid a tight knot and released the light brown sail of the boat. The winds blew through them violently as it started to move. Bella turned back around immediately and hopped back out of the boat while making sure it was still trapped and connected to a small stone pole.

She turned and it looked as if though she fixed her big chocolate colored eyes on me. But I knew she couldn't see me. She looked through me and up the stairs. Her gentle cheeks had turned completely red as big tears rolled down from her eyes.

Bella began to pace. She wrapped one of her arms around her waist while the other gripped her chin. She was nervous and worried. It wasn't difficult to tell her emotional state especially with all this chaos around her. She drove her hand through her hair distressed. I think she was awaiting the arrival of someone.

Whoever it was or whatever, she must have eventually made it out of the city safely. I mean if she didn't then I would never have met her. I was sure these were her memories. It couldn't be anything else. How I was able to gain access to them was still shrouded in mystery. The only possible conclusion would be that she somehow managed to entrap me within my own mind and show me these pictures from her past. But why, and what was with that strange apparition?

There was another loud crack that emanated from the sky just as a huge white bolt of lightning hit the already decapitated central tower of the city again. The tower exploded once more and catapulted endless amounts of stones and dust towards the ground. The flying stones looked like meteorites ready to impact the city, and its people. The screams from inside the city intensified.

Suddenly I heard a loud and sad whimper from behind me. Bella had fallen to her knees and gripped her hands together as if though she was praying. Large sphere shaped tears leaked from her with water stricken eyes. It was horrible to experience this. Not just her painful and tormented reactions but the screams of the people inside the city, and their cries.

Then there were words. Bella began to speak. She had closed her eyes while tears continued to fall down her cheeks, and looked up to the sky. She was speaking a language I couldn't understand. Every word she uttered seemed broken. She had to fight for the words to escape her lips and was trying her best to keep more pronounced whimpers locked in her throat.

What was she saying? I had mastered and encountered so many different languages in my one century alone but this tongue was completely foreign to me. I had never heard these words before. If I didn't identify hints of repetition then I would have believed that whatever she was saying was simply gibberish.

I noticed that Bella held something tightly between her two intertwined hands. There was a necklace of sorts around her neck constructed out of small wooden orbs. Whatever was at the end I couldn't see since it was being pressed together by her hands.

She opened her eyes again and released more flows of tears and looked up the sky while speaking or rather chanting.

"Timaeus… … Critias... Coferro…nu-nux..nivuss..c-cimu…" _(Timaeus… … Critias… Protect…t-the..white..c-city)_ Her lips where whimpering so strong that she almost didn't accomplish to speak the words. It looked truly like Bella was praying. Her eyes would not leave the sky and would only look away to observe the stairwells. She was definitely waiting for someone. Maybe it was a family member or better yet the gentlemen that I saw her with earlier; the one that she deemed worthy enough to show that absolutely dazzling smile to.

Timaeus… The word or name became rather demanding in my thoughts. I think I've heard it before but where? I closed my eyes to view the photographic images within my own thoughts. That, and I couldn't stand to see Bella in such an agonized way anymore.

Once more I imagined a large leather bound book in my own thoughts; a mental diary of sorts. I began to flip through it. I don't believe any human could imagine what we vampires could learn and remember within the lifespan of a mere century. I had so much information in my head. I had to sort through all the knowledge I had ever obtained. I wish there was something like a search button in my mind where I could just type in the name and then hit "go".

I know I've heard the name. But not just it, the name Critias sounded familiar as well. I could feel myself getting closer to what I wanted. I don't think that these two names actually pertained to people but rather scripts that I had once glanced over.

THERE! I could see the text before my eyes. I had read something at Dartmouth about them once. They were in fact scriptures that Plato wrote over two thousand years ago.

I began to read through the text I had already read once. It dealt with the old republic and the "ideal state". It speaks of a journey to Egypt and a war between Athens and…

_For it is related in our records how once upon a time your State stayed the course of a mighty host, which, starting from a distant point in the Atlantic ocean, was insolently advancing to attack the whole of Europe, and Asia to boot. For the ocean there was at that time navigable; for in front of the mouth which you Greeks call, as you say, 'the pillars of Heracles,' there lay an island which was larger than Libya and Asia together; and it was possible for the travelers of that time to cross from it to the other islands, and from the islands to the whole of the continent over against them which encompasses that veritable ocean. For all that we have here, lying within the mouth of which we speak, is evidently a haven having a narrow entrance; but that yonder is a real ocean, and the land surrounding it may most rightly be called, in the fullest and truest sense, a continent._

My eyes snapped open in shock! Bella still remained on the ground crying, and waiting but she wasn't the subject of my new observation now. I felt my breath begin to pick up rapidly when a new light illuminated the confusion and darkness within me. I shook my head in disbelieve.

I faced the city that was in the process of being destroyed by the wrath of nature. A white city… with stones of red…elephants…

I suddenly felt a new chill inside of me and I was sure that if I were human my heart would have been pumping hundreds of beats per minute. If these were indeed memories, _her _memories then.. then…

The legends were true!

This was as Plato had written in Timaeus and most notably in Critias the lost continent. Atlantis!

But that would mean that… Bella? If the timetables were correct and Plato apparently very much knew what he was talking about then… She was…

Bella was over ten thousand years old!

**(Authors Note)** – I hope that his history session is once again not a bore for you guys but these memories are absolutely essential for a later bit of the story. Edward has to see all of this in order to understand Bella. Next chapter there will be a few more memories and after that the Cullen's will finally face the Moriatus.

Credit for the revision of this chapter also goes to my new Beta reader **ashgolden**. ALL HAIL THE ASH!

PLEASE REVIEW if you liked this chapter or the whole story so far.


	17. Chapter 16

Fire and Destruction

This was madness. This was absolutely impossible. The legends of Atlantis, to me, are the works of pure myth. I never for one moment believed that such a paradise-filled metropolis ever existed. I had always imagined that Plato had simply created a fairytale which was his work of pure fiction. There never had been solid evidence to support any of the theories that he created. I knew that some humans were obsessed with finding the lost continent and spent their lives trying. Should I believe this?

I watched Bella as she whimpered on the ground pressing her fragile hands together and repeatedly chanting the names Timaeus, and Critias. Perhaps these two were some form of entity that the Atlanteans worshipped? I couldn't be sure; however, this was a civilization that appeared more advanced than even the ancient Egyptians. I could tell by observing Bella's simple humans gestures and of course the grand architecture of the city.

Was I then witnessing the cataclysm that eventually brought the end to this paradise? Was this it? Was it truly a natural catastrophe that ended Atlantis? These visions, memories or whatever this was, made it appear to be so. The giant leviathan neared the city with tremendous velocity and would surely hit the city within possibly twenty or so minutes. I couldn't believe it.

I was witnessing the destruction of paradise.

There was something else, though, that outshone this event. It was the very fact that if Plato had been correct about the date of the destruction then Bella was over ten thousand years old. Unbelievable!

She was older than most civilizations on Earth. She was older then the pyramids of Egypt, Stonehenge and whatever other ancient structure that still existed in the twentieth century. I couldn't even begin to imagine living for such a long extend of time. But this was still just a theory however. What if these images were fake? What if all of this was some sort of illusion designed to confound me? What if it wasn't? What if Bella truly was that old? It would make her the oldest vampire I ever heard off!

Suddenly there were several more direct hits that lunged down and upon the city as the sky threw more of its lightning bolts. The screams grew louder and more panicked from within the city. How many were hurt? How many have lost their lives already? Why was Bella still here? There was a boat! Why wasn't she setting sail to escape this disaster? Who was she waiting for?

I began to hear rapid foot movement. There was someone descending down the stairs. Could this have been the one she was waiting for? I hoped so. Otherwise she would sink down the dark and cold abyss of the ocean along with her home.

Bella's much more primitive hearing had finally also picked up on the noise of someone coming towards her. She got up from her knees and stood straight up while glimmers of hope began to radiate from her tear stricken eyes. For her sake I prayed that whoever she was waiting for would be appearing from between the stone archway and relive her of all this worry, and pain.

Bella began to run. She seemed to have lost her patience and now ran towards the stairs to greet whoever it was that she had been waiting for. I wondered who it would be. For some reason my mind continued to rotate around the thought of the person she had been with in the first memory I witnessed. Was it him? I couldn't help but wonder if it was her lover. She had a lover… Hmpf. Somehow this idea caused me a deal of great distress.

_CRACK_

There was a gigantic explosion in the sky as it cracked open and threw another round of lightning bolts and this time it hit the small docking bay that Bella and I both occupied. It was a like a slow-motioned scene. I saw Bella running towards the stairs to identify the stranger descending from them. It was also then when for the first time I noticed a pair of feet but because of the unique architecture and arch of the door and I could not see a face. The lightning bolt slithered down like a python from the skies and impacted the space between Bella and the stranger.

I could feel myself thrusting forward and screaming in panic. Out of all the places in the city to strike why did nature select this particular spot? My feet pulled forward as I stretched out my hand towards Bella who had been knocked off her feet and was now flying backwards and towards me. My features pulled into a mask of agony as I witnessed the horrific strike before my eyes. Somehow, to see her like this, in pain and misery caused incredible sorrow for me. The emotions I heard myself describe however felt foreign to me, like they weren't my own.

My hand stretched out and wanted to reach and grab a hold of Bella but suddenly much like before, everything went white.

I felt my feet become cemented in the very spot I stood. I was returned to the place I had been before. The white space with clouds flying past me and glimmering stars in the distance. I sighed.

What was the point of that? Why did I have to see such a tragedy? Why did she show me all of this? Suddenly I felt great deal of…misplacement? Whenever I thought about why Bella was showing me her memories I felt this punch in my chest like something within me was trying to tell me that the statement I was thinking was wrong. Like there was something telling me that it wasn't Bella showing me all of these images. But it had to be!

There! As soon as I had fought off the possibility that there was something else behind all of this and that it in fact was Bella I felt that punch in my chest again and a surge in my thoughts trying to direct me away from that conclusion. What was going on with me?

It all started when I was unable to tell Carlisle the truth behind the events that had transpired earlier. Ever since that moment I felt like there was something inside of me, something else, and something foreign, something that should no longer be here. Had she taken control of me somehow when I heard her thoughts? I felt that surge in my brain again like my subconscious once more knew something that I didn't and it tried to tell me that I was wrong. It was trying to tell me that Bella had nothing to do with this. This must be what a schizophrenic feels like.

It was like my subconscious knew things that I didn't. But why? How? I had never seen Bella before; I had never in my entire live met a woman like her. There was something else as well. When I was viewing the memories, as strange as it may sound, I felt like it wasn't the first time I had seen those white marble buildings or those elephants. But how? What were these emotions and strange visions I was experiencing?

The white flash returned and I was yet again in another scenario. I blinked agitated at the flash as it somehow transported me to another place in time. I reopened my eyes when I heard the cheerful voices of humans.

Okay… Where was I now? I had been transferred to a completely different scene than the one I had to witness before. I now stood in yet another city but it wasn't the metropolis from before. I quickly stepped out of the way as two human women dressed in brown robes passed me while they chatted in the same strange language that Bella had used. Why was I here?

Why…why was I so radically thrown from one image to another? I now stood in a strange place indeed. I stood on marble stones and was surrounded by many humans carrying woven wooden baskets filled with fruits, vegetables, and other forms of sustenance. They all seemed rather joyous.

I glanced at the buildings and noticed something rather peculiar. The elements that the buildings were made out of, I had never seen before. It looked white but somehow crystalline. There was a very, very light blue and purple like tone to the fragments. It looked as if though the city was built out of some form of crystals or even diamonds. I wished that the sky in this vision wasn't clouded like it was otherwise the sun might have been able to reveal to me whether or not this material was truly crystal like in nature.

What a strange place… Now this I had never ever heard or read about in any history, mythology, or folklore. Nothing that this city held looked familiar. I was in some sort of square that could have easily been a food market of sorts. There were small stands with apples, oranges, pineapples, strawberries, blueberries, grapes, carrots, tomatoes, and a plethora of other fruits and vegetables. There were other stands that were selling cloth as well. Some of them had diamonds, sapphires, rubies, garnets, and many other gem stones engraved in their designs. Whatever this place was it seemed to be a prosperous township.

There was also a beautiful designed fountain in the middle of the square constructed out of the same material as the other buildings. It had crafted statues of lovely women, four of them, pointing to the four directions of the sky; north, south, east, and west. Each of them held what appeared to be a lily with four thin spouts of water erupting from each. Alright… So these people knew directions of the sky, and I wouldn't think that these statues were placed there by coincidence, and they had…pipes? That was the only way to truly explain this fountain.

How much history existed that humans and apparently a fairly large group of vampires didn't know about? My God! Just look at this place though. It was beautiful. It reminded me a lot of the city I saw before this one but not as…shiny.

Suddenly I heard another laugh from behind me that caused me to stiffen up. Out of all the laughs and cheerful voices of this crowd here it was the one voice that stood out to me the most. It was a chiming bell like voice that I had heard from many different entities throughout the years and could easily identify. It was the voice of another vampire.

I turned around and searched through the maze of humans that were chatting peacefully with one another until I spotted a male vampire standing next to a young woman and small child. He was tall and dark skinned with short sleek black hair. His eyes were as bright and light as blood.

Suddenly fear took over me. Why did vampires have to ruin such peaceful and wealthy communities? Why would he now bring fear, torment, and panic amongst these apparently friendly and happy citizens? The vampire smiled, and had his arms crossed over his chest while convening with the woman in front of him who chatted away relaxed, and not at all afraid. I cocked my head to the side and felt my own eyebrows push together.

Why wasn't she afraid? Why wasn't she running away in fear from the sight of his red eyes? Couldn't she detect the foreignness within him? Didn't she see the sets of razor sharp white teeth that were ready to strike at any moment? The other humans around the small circle including the male vampire didn't seem all too concerned either.

I heard another set of voices behind me and immediately turned around to see two more vampires talking to humans who once again didn't show any hints of fear. The two female vampires were even shaking hands with the unsuspecting mortals. How come they didn't shy away from their cold touch? Why is it that they have not questioned them about their alien nature?

What sort of place was this? A city in which vampires and humans coexisted together peacefully? Surely something like this would have been recorded by Aro in Carlisle's index. Was it? Did Carlisle feel it not be prudent to mention something like this? I wondered what year I was in.

Wait a minute. For the first time since these "memories" started I noticed something strange. It had finally clicked in my head because I couldn't detect Bella anywhere in my vicinity. If these were truly Bella's memories then why wasn't I seeing these visions through her own eyes? Was she doing this purposely to perhaps fool me into thinking they weren't her own? Was she doing this? Or was there somebody else behind this?

The white flash returned and yet again blinded me.

"Damn." Enough of this already. The vision became clear again before me as fast as it had disappeared, and I was returned to the diamond like city.

Things had changed… The square was being overrun with humans sprinting, and screaming in terror. This was just like Atlantis. First I saw the peaceful and beautiful Eden I was transported to, and then minutes later I had to witness part of its destruction.

There were women and men grabbing small children that kept falling or simply weren't running fast enough and took off with them towards the north. I saw many dark flashes on top of the buildings as well. They were vampires jumping from one direction to another. Were they doing this? Were they turning on the humans of this city? I did notice that the humans and vampires while they ran anyway continuously glanced at the sky in panic, and trembling fear.

It was then when I noticed a strange red like glimmer reflecting off of the city, the ground, the water of the fountain, and in the eyes of the beings around me. I finally stretched my head upwards towards the sky to find the source of this aura.

"By the eternal majesty of God's creation…" When I saw the sky I felt a cold chill run down my already frozen spine. When I exhaled I noticed that my own breaths were broken, and disturbed. What in the world… I had never seen or heard off…

In the dark and clouded night sky above there was now a large and face shaped thing completely composed of fire. I cannot say what I would call this for I have never seen anything like it. It was large, and easily as big as the whole city. It was in the shape of a face but not just a face. It wore two giant pointed horns on its head that were erupting and flaring with giant red flames. The two eyes of this monstrosity were pitch black. It had a thin button like nose completely composed of fire like the rest of its features. Its mouth was open while in the back of its throat I saw a light and a forming ball of fire.

There was no science or mathematical equation I could think of that could possibly explain this. It looked like the face of a demon or a devil. I saw its fiery eyebrows push together as it leered down upon the city. How could this thing be made up of fire? I knew that Bella had some skill with fire, after all she was able to light the body of Laurent with but a snip of fingers but could she do this? Could she be responsible for this?

And there it was again. The surge I had felt earlier returned to me as it negated the thought of Bella as the villain behind this. Once more my inner thoughts rejected and tried to fend off the idea of Bella as the culprit.

Suddenly the fiery countenance in the sky opened its great mouth even wider than before. It pulled back its lava like lips to expose rows of red razor sharp and pointed teeth. These teeth were the once described by humans when it came to vampire legends. In the back of its throat I once more saw a shining light that emanated of an ever growing fireball that resembled the sun.

There was a loud sizzling sound and the noise of a malevolent explosion as from the mouth of the fiery demon came a fireball shooting down and heading directly for the city. It impacted about a half a mile away from me causing flares to shoot up in the sky as soon as it hit the ground. The flares acted like lightning bolts and traveled along the buildings causing more damage as they went as they melted through the structures.

There were more cries and agonized screams as the humans came running from the section of the city that was now set ablaze. I heard another sizzling and looked up just in time to see six more bolts of fire shooting from the mouth of this lava golem. The ground beneath me shook vigorously as each of the bolts hit their designated targets. One of them was very close to me. Many of the buildings I saw being impacted literally melted away while others exploded asunder throwing enormous sized rocks all over the city.

I heard another pained scream as I saw a woman and a child more or like a mother and her daughter on the ground whimpering in fear as a large portion of what once was a building came hurtling towards them.

I had to do something! But…but I couldn't. All of this already happened and there was nothing I could do. Why did I have to see this? No… The poor woman who couldn't have been older than thirty and her young daughter who was probably around six or seven were about to lose their innocent lives. The mother threw herself over the body of her daughter and covered her beneath her in a futile attempt to conceal her from the horrible death both of them were sure to endure.

Suddenly there was a loud blast behind me and a stream of flames that looked much like a flamethrower shot up and collided with the large falling boulder. The flames stopped the structures descend and were powerful enough to push it over to the side and away from the humans below.

I turned to see the origin of the flame and saw the wind blow playfully through soft and smooth caramel like hair that was covering a heart shaped face with two bright crimson eyes.

BELLA! She was here! Her hand was stretched out towards the empty space above the mother and her child whom she had just saved. I let a smile grace my face as I saw the good deed she had just committed that filled me with merriment. Perhaps she didn't hate humans as much as she made it appear.

Bella ran over to the two pedestrians and helped both of them to their feet. There were tears leaking from the woman's eyes while she patted and rubbed on Bella's shoulder with a smile on her features. The little girl stuck close to her mother and wrapped her small arms around her waist. Bella quickly interrupted the woman's notions that must have been gestures of gratitude and leaded them forward and pointed to the north in which I noticed an emerald jungle lay. The women nodded repeatedly and yelled after Bella as she and her daughter ran towards the jungle. I wish I knew what they were saying.

Bella must not have been very old in this time and space. Her skin was about as pearly and pale as Aro's while her eyes sparkled brightly unlike now. But that could just be from lack of nourishment though.

Bella dashed off into the distance and I decided to pursue once more. On the way through the city I noticed other vampires carrying humans on their backs or in their arms and were escorting them out of the city as the blazing countenance above continued to catapult large bolts of "fire lighting" down upon the metropolis. The city began to literally melt away while other parts imploded on contact with the bolts and threw large pieces of what looked like crystalline stones down onto the ground.

Bella came to a screeching halt in front of a large temple that had an uncanny resemblance to Mayan architecture. There were about five hundred steps leading up the enormous structure and it appeared to be the largest building in the entire city. The architecture and style resembled that of…well…Atlantis. I still had trouble with believing what I saw so even my thoughts were very hesitant.

The temple itself was beautiful. The roof was flat and was engraved on its sides with thorns and roses. It too was made up out of that strange and unnamed material I had never encountered before. On top of the stairs with arms stretched out towards the sky stood a man with his eyes closed, and chanting the strange language that everybody here spoke.

I couldn't make out much about him except that he wore a white robe and was paler than even Bella at this point. Even while wearing robes I could detect his masculine form and muscles that were nestled beneath the cloth.

Bella began to yell. She surprised me even and caused me to jump as her face pulled into a mask of agony, and pain. She screamed at whoever it was standing on top of the stairs. He ignored her.

Suddenly two more vampires came up from behind us. One of them I had seen earlier or in the previous vision with the dark skin and black hair. The other was a woman with dark wavy locks, and naturally pouted lips. Both of them looked physically older than Bella. Maybe they were in their mid twenties.

Each of them gripped one of Bella's arms and began to pull her back while she tried to fight against them. They were having a hard time holding on to her as she seemed to go into an almost psychotic frenzy. She continued to yell at the vampire on top of the temple while he continued to ignore her.

The sky lit up once more as the countenance of fire circled and fixed its vision upon the male vampire Bella was trying to commune with. The fiery face pulled its features into a purely disgusted and evil look. It ripped open its mouth as far as it could go and released a menacing growl. You could see the air waves traveling down on the city causing more buildings to crumble in their wake. The back of its throat began to glow again and it seemed to be targeting this one vampire solely.

Another vampire appeared from behind us that was female as well with flowing blond curls though her face remained unseen to me. She began to shove Bella backwards as the other two secured a better hold of her, and they began to run back and towards the north away from this hellish catastrophe. Bella tried to free herself from their grasp but was unsuccessful. As they disappeared into the distance I could hear Bella's pained screams.

"KRONOS!" "KRONOS." She repeated it again and again as they vanished into the darkness past my vision. I heard a loud thump like something was just released and saw that the mouth of the face had fired not a bolt this time but a straight red beam of fire that headed directly to the temple.

The beam hit its target which was as I had suspected the male vampire on top of the temple. He jerked as the beam hit his mouth and seemed to be going inside of him. I saw his hands, arms, and face suddenly light up as yellow like cracks appeared all over them. Then I saw his body slowly bursting open and flames erupting from its insides.

There was an explosion. The body of the vampire imploded and released a giant tsunami of red flame. It was bigger than I had anticipated and began to travel quickly down the stairs and headed towards me. I covered my face with my arms out of instinct as the fiery blazes headed towards me and almost forgot that this was nothing, but a memory.

The flash returned. But this time instead of everything growing white, everything grew dark.

_"Sleeping…spirit…"_ I immediately uncrossed my arms at the sound of that familiar voice and found myself back on my rear, and back in my room. I was still trembling from all the visions I had just witnessed as I gazed upon the transparent form of myself standing in front of me.

His emerald green orbs fixed straight on me while a crooked grin covered his features. I swallowed nervously and used the glass wall as leverage to get me back on my feet.

He looked just like me… Was it me somehow? For the past couple of days I've felt like my subconscious had been trying to warn me, or even knew things that I didn't know.

Even his voice sounded just like mine did when I was human, and was a bit rougher around the edges that what it was now. I began to shake my head slowly. Was it Bella doing this?

Suddenly his crooked grin began to fade. The right side of his face that had pulled up in a mirror reflection of me began to falter as he slowly looked to the ground with a sad frown covering his face.

"W-What was the meaning of all that?" I tried to talk in hushed whispers so the others wouldn't hear this insanity. As soon as I had asked him I saw a glimmer on the edge of his eye as a small tear dropped down his cheek.

His eyes traveled back up to meet mine and dripped with what appeared to be disappointment? There was another small tear escaping his other emerald eye now. He turned around and remained silent and began to walk towards the door. I reached out my hand quickly in order to stop him but I was unsuccessful and it was too late.

His entire body shifted so his back was facing me now while his entire being began to glow yellowish and faded completely out until he was gone. My room grew dark without any sound or scent.

"What…just…happened?"

* * *

(Alice's Point of View)

I sighed relieved. I was so glad when I saw Jasper getting well again. I had been so terrified when I saw him so broken, and so defeated. He had always been a powerful soldier, and survived so many onslaughts during his time in the south and now to be defeated so easily wasn't good for his ego. For the first time in our fifty years together Jasper wanted to be alone for a short while.

He didn't come right out and say so but the hints were there. He needed time alone with his thoughts and had to sort through his own emotions this time to overcome the small traumatic experience he had to endure.

I had never seen anything like it. How could a vampire be so powerful? I wondered how old she was. I knew from experience and Carlisle's stories that vampires grew more powerful as the decades, centuries, and even millenniums progressed. Edward seemed rather off the track as well. I saw his small debate with Carlisle before it happened and had hoped that he would choose the latter path and tell Carlisle whatever it was that not even I could see. He didn't.

I was sitting in my room now and played with a small music box that had two small figurines dancing every time it was opened. It was sweet. Jasper had given it to me a few years ago for one of our anniversaries. Unfortunately for him I had already seen what it was. I am not much for surprises. But occasionally…

"_Alice…" _I felt a cold chill travel down my spine as a cool breeze washed through my hair and brought with it a silent whisper. I jumped up out of my chair in front of my mirror and turned to face the room. There was nothing there. I felt the back of my neck which was warm, of course, but that breeze that touched my body felt even cold to me.

Come to think of it, the whisper sounded a lot like Edward only rougher. Had I just imagined it? Was I perhaps receiving a vision and this was simply the foreplay? A rather strange analogy, I know. I giggled at myself.

I shrugged my shoulders and sat back down. I looked in the mirror to view my own petit reflection and stroked the small spikes that sat on the tips of my hair. I always wondered how I would look with longer hair. Unfortunately being a vampire my hair is as long as it will forever get. Darn. I would have loved…

"_Alice…"_

I stood once more but didn't turn around. The voice was louder and more pressing this time and was definitely the voice of Edward but as I had thought, much rougher. I now felt another breeze wash through me that touched my arms and the sides of my face. It was so cold, and so…unidentifiable.

"_Alice…"_

Though I cannot say why, my lips began to whimper. There was something here. I swallowed and slapped myself mentally for being such cowardice. What in the world could possibly frighten me that was of physical nature? I turned around.

I felt my own eyes grow wide with shock and noticed my own mouth dropping open. I backed up just a little until I felt my cosmetic table behind me. What on this good green earth…

Before me stood Edward? No! This THING was almost transparent. I could see right through it. But… It looked just like EDWARD! The only difference was that its hair was combed back neatly unlike my brother's cute messy hair. Its eyes were also green like Edward's had been when he was human.

It took a step forward and I halted my breaths. It stopped. Suddenly I felt this… surge within me that released the restraints I had put up in my body and somehow relaxed me. This wasn't like Jasper's empathic ability though.

Whatever it was had a sorrowful look upon its face. It almost made me feel sorry and sympathetic towards it. There was small crystal like tears running down its cheeks as it pierced my vision with its two big emerald eyes. It opened its mouth.

"_Alice… help… me…"_

(Authors Note) – Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and this will be it for memories…for now. Please** REVIEW **if you liked this chapter or the whole story so far. Thank you.

Also, thanks goes out to my beautiful, amazing, awesome new Beta ashgolden for helping me revise this chapter.


	18. Chapter 17

The Hunt

Darkness approaches. I can feel it in my very bones. There was something lurking towards the horizons waiting to strike and summon a menacing force of a world beyond memory. This was the impression I received as I stood in my room leaning up against the wall and watched the bitter gloomy skies.

It was only about ten minutes after twelve and the skies were darker than I had ever seen them here in this small township of Forks. The clouds were rotating and spiraling as if they were going to form a series of twisters. The rain was ravaging through the city and shivering forest. I had said it before and I'll say it again. It was as if the forest was frightened.

Was it frightened of Bella? Or perhaps was it the feared and monstrous Moriatus that Bella spoke off? Whatever the reason was that caused the natural atmosphere of Forks to become this distorted must be a powerful entity. It wasn't just the weather however. I had noticed just yesterday that the animals were leaving the area.

I saw whole flocks of birds flying towards the east and away from the town. I could hear the herds of deer, and elk stampeding and pushing their way out of the forest and away. There was something here or perhaps still headed this way that caused them a great deal of distress and was forcing their natural instincts to escape and vacate this rainy wilderness.

It had been two days since the encounter with Bella. The house had been in a state of complete silence ever since. For the first time in decades, Rosalie, Emmett, and Jasper for once felt how fragile their immortalities could be. They had experienced a physical pain that they never thought could exist for our kind. Their bodies had been pushed to their ultimate limits as the venom worked under dire circumstances to restore the damage that had been inflicted to its _hosts. _

Emmett and Rosalie spent most of their time watching television. Their minds still hung heavily over the events of the prior night. They used entertainment to try and get their minds away from that awful experience. Neither one of them really talked to each other, let alone to anybody else. Jasper spent most of his time playing chess by himself as if trying to devise a strategy to counter the incredible force he had awoken. He had been damaged the most; mentally that was. He couldn't get it out of his mind how easily he had been taken down. He didn't even see her hand coming. All he could remember was lunging towards her and then all of a sudden he felt this stinging and numbing pain on right side of his face.

Alice… There was something wrong with Alice as well. At first I had thought that because Jasper had been so broken and mentally wounded that it had also born a great deal of sorrow for Alice but as I was currently watching her in the forest across the lake sitting on a hollow log my mind began to wonder. She had been doing this for the past two days now. She was just far away enough in order for my telepathy to be unable to reach. She sat with her back towards me and appeared to be immobilized, although at times it seemed as if she was talking.

I wondered what she was doing. Ever since that night, the night when I saw those strange images, memories, or visions Alice had begun to act very strange. The few times she was close enough for me to hear her thoughts all of her focused lay solely on Jasper. It was an impenetrable wall that did not even offer one small crack for me to slip under. There was something that she was trying to hide from me, I was sure of it. My first theory had been that perhaps Alice had seen what I had. But then again, why would she attempt to hide it?

Tonight was the night of the small banquet that Esme had worked so hard for to bake cinnamon rolls. It was only a small get together at the local hospital. The bigger banquet would take place a month from now in Seattle. Even though the skies were so dark and eerie not even one of us attended school for the past two days. We thought that not showing up at all wouldn't raise as much suspicion as showing up. We had all been in such a catatonic like state that Carlisle and I were sure questions might have been raised.

Carlisle… I felt so terrible whenever I thought of Carlisle. He knew that I knew something he didn't and refused to share it with him. I closed my eyelids over my unworthy golden orbs. It had been so hard to look at him and see the sadness, and disappointment he was trying to hide beneath his usual smile. But it wasn't my fault I thought ashamed. I tried! I tried to tell him but I couldn't. Why couldn't I? Why? Who or what held me on strings like a marionette? This made me think of my ghostly encounter that mild and stormy night.

What was it? It couldn't have been some sort of a-apparition? No, no, no, no, NO! I did not believe in such nonsense. Those "psychic mediums" that supposedly see these spiritual entities are just a huge hoax to me. A great many times when we visited the carnivals throughout the states I had seen these little brown booths where one of these so called mediums sat and attempted to tell these gullible people their fortunes. Whenever I read their thoughts they reeked of fraud and misguidance. I didn't believe in ghosts or spirits. When you're dead, you're dead. Whatever I had seen must have been some vampiric talent of sorts that played tricks on your thoughts. I didn't believe it!

"Alright, Esme and I are heading out." I heard Carlisle's sentiment from somewhere below. We had all been so on the edge that none of us really wanted to go to the banquet today. Instead, we all promised Carlisle that no matter what, we would be attending the even bigger one next month in Seattle. This made me feel even worse. He had been looking forward to seeing all of us at the dinner tonight; but, once more, we all disappointed and decided not to go.

Carlisle, of course, understood. As a matter of fact, we didn't technically promise him to come to the next one but instead he made us promise him. I guess he just wanted to show us once more that vampires can be healers instead of murderers. My relationship with him was more strained than I wanted to admit. It had been so hard to face him… It was even worse knowing that he knew. I felt so bad about it but I deserved it. I was so weak. I couldn't get a grip over these foreign emotions as they manipulated my thoughts, and actions.

I heard a small clicking noise as the front door closed and then heard Carlisle and Esme flying inside of the Mercedes. I really hoped that both of them would have a nice time today and got their minds off of us. It would be difficult for the both of them and I knew that we not going would make them think even more of us but I still held hope.

I unglued myself from the wall and slowly trotted down the hall and started to make my way downstairs. Several times now I played with the idea of sneaking up on Alice and possibly uncovering some of what she was doing although it would be most futile. She would most certainly see me coming and she might not appreciate my curiosity. This bothered me though. What was it that she was doing?

I descended down the last step and climbed two more to get to our large living room. As I had predicted Rosalie and Emmett were taking their place as couch potatoes in our family. They watched some special on the isolated islands of the pacific and what species of animals they held. They had already watched this yesterday.

I was bored. I took a seat in the small loveseat next to the bigger sofa and started to watch television with them. Quite a number of times during the show I hesitantly risked a small look towards them. They were like zombies. Their minds were silent as well. In their thoughts I saw the show they were currently viewing and heard nothing else. I couldn't believe that what seemed to have been a small incident could have turned into such a catastrophe. Carlisle had theorized that all three of them had been near death. Bella could have finished them off easily… but she didn't.

Though I was bored for now I knew that I wouldn't be for long. I had a mission tonight! All three of them; Jasper, Emmett, and Rosalie were incredibly thirsty, and even more so than Alice or me. The healing maintenance the venom had to perform stirred up a vacuum amount of thirst within them. Their eyes were pitch black with deep, and dark purple bruises underneath them. This was another reason why we hadn't attended school or the banquet today. With this level of hunger it was to risky to venture out into the public even with us being so well trained.

My mission was to stop them! Carlisle had forbidden us to hunt in the immediate forest and mountain range but Jasper was already decided to go against Carlisle's wishes. He was thirsty, and it was thirst that he himself had never experienced before. His mind was swimming in the thoughts of gracing the neck of a human and devouring the delicious elixir that could finally extinguish this terrible craving he had to endure for the past fifty years. Though it entered his thoughts he would never act upon it. I knew that if he decided to go that Rosalie and Emmett, and quite possible Alice would want to follow. I had to stop them!

But how? I couldn't tell them even if I wanted to. I'm sure that the strange surge in my thoughts would protest and stop me from even uttering one single word about the Moriatus. I couldn't let them go. I couldn't allow what happened to Laurent happen to them. But what if Bella had already caught the beast? Would she be dead then too? Could she have lost a face off with that venom thirsting monster? Somehow though I doubted so very much. She was so strong and graceful, and swift. On the other hand, I didn't know anything about these Gargoyles other then their name and what they do!

Jasper was just finishing up his… I have lost count on how many games of chess he has now played. He kicked over the black king with the white queen and called it checkmate. I wondered for how long this would continue and when he would decide to go for a hunt. His initial idea was to wait for Carlisle and Esme to leave. The essence of his thoughts held no clues to when he was going to leave. Much like Emmett, and Rosalie he too was focused on what he was currently doing.

I heard the sound of steps as they brushed by the wet grass in the backyard and realized that it must have been Alice on her way back in. I wished I knew what it was she was doing. Her mind once more was completely compiled of images of Jasper and a recent vision.

DAMN! Alice already saw Jasper and the others going out for a hunting trip. She was on her way back in to ask Jasper if he wanted to go ahead and go now. Apparently she didn't believe the warning that Bella gave either nor would she uphold Carlisle's wish to stay away if Jasper wasn't going to. I guess in these circumstances I could understand her. Jasper was thirsty and it caused him misery to be as thirsty as he was. Of course Alice would choose Jasper over Carlisle.

I had little under a minute until Alice would join us here in the house. There was no way out. What could I say? What could I do? I wonder if Jasper noticed the tense emotional climate between Carlisle and I. I couldn't do anything that would cause too much suspicion either. By all right I would gladly tell them what I knew but even now in this instant I felt that invisible surge or wall stiffening me and already taking precautions that would prevent me from divulging anything. I could call Carlisle. Would he be able to hinder their path? I began tapping my fingers on the love seat and felt very nervous the nearer Alice came.

The door opened. Alice entered with her mind set on Jasper.

"Jazz?" She called his name over the empty space in the house and danced towards the dinning room where Jasper sat and placed his chess game.

"Do you want to go ahead and hunt tonight?" Alice seemed a little down herself. Perhaps Jasper's influential ability affected her as well? But over the course of the past two days I had been getting the impression that there was something else going on with Alice. The proof lay in her complex and shielded thoughts. Every time she was near me all I could ever see were images of Jasper and nothing else. It was as if she used him as some sort of scapegoat to cover up something else that lay beneath.

I heard Jasper sigh, relieved. I saw his dark eyes through Alice's vision and saw his excitement about a possible hunt to quench the thirst that had been eating at him.

"Yes, yes I do, Alice."

"Alright. Let's go see if the others want to go to."

Oh Alice, you treacherous… It wasn't her fault though, it was mine. If only I could have summoned the strength to tell them. But maybe I could get them to go someplace else. Perhaps I could convince them to head down south towards Oregon and away from Forks. Would they go for it?

Alice and Jasper emerged hand in hand in the living room. Alice locked her sight with mine for but a fraction of a second before quickly looking away again and towards Emmett and Rosalie. What was it that was hidden behind her golden orbs?

"Rosalie? Emmett? Would you like to join me and Jasper for a quick hunt in the forest?"

Before they could even turn their heads and take notice of Jasper and Alice I immediately intervened.

"Carlisle asked us not to!" I spoke so fast that mere human ears could have never picked up on it. I would have to try everything and anything to prevent them from going. It was Jasper who breathed agitated and heavily. Alice's expression remained blank.

"Well Carlisle's not here and I for one am very, very thirsty." He concealed his true feelings. In reality he wanted to jump and hiss at me. It had been going on for the past couple of years in which Jasper at times became quite frustrated with some of Carlisle's decisions.

"He'll be disappointed when he finds out that you went against him. In addition, we have to consider the threat that _she_ told…"

"OH ENOUGH!" This time Jasper hissed at me. I tried to remain relaxed and held a firm grip on the couch.

"There is no threat! And don't even get me started when it comes to disappointment Edward! Its you that's hiding something from us. I feel more than you know." He did notice. Rosalie and Emmett who had been quiet up until now rose from their seats and glared at me.

"Is that true?" Rosalie asked disgusted. Emmett put both of his hands on his hips while all of them awaited an answer. I had been calm up until now and that's how I needed to remain. If I was unable to tell them what I truly wanted then I had to maintain the idea that there actually was nothing to tell. The last thing I wanted was to gain their mistrust as well.

"No," I said peacefully. Jaspers eyes narrowed viciously.

"He's lying."

"Edward! Is there something that you know about all of this that we don't? There something we ought to know about that chick that nearly killed us? Because if there is than you really SHOULD tell us!"

This I did not anticipate. They cornered me. Oh please, please let me tell them. There was nothing more that I wanted but the more I thought about it the more I felt these walls pressing on me and stealing the necessary breath I need to tell them.

"There is nothing to tell Emmett. Although I personally believe that we should heed Bella's warning."

Silence. All their eyes popped open wide with shock.

"Bella?" Jasper took a step closer to me. I said her name? I guess not everything was cemented away where I could never dig deep enough. I had been thinking her name so often in my thoughts and been using it that I had completely forgotten that they didn't even know.

"Is that her name?" Rosalie looked rather appalled with my need for secrecy. I was suddenly speechless. There was nothing I could say that could make this moment any worse. I was unable to share what I had learned with them but not because I didn't want to yet I was still at fault. I was weak.

"You have been keeping that from us? What else is there that we don't know Edward?" Jasper was pretty mad. He was thinking far ahead. He was considering the possibility that there was something that could threaten Alice in all of this and being the over protecting goon that he was he would surely want to find out. Unfortunately he wasn't wrong. There _was_ something threatening our existence out there somewhere in the dark forest.

I didn't say anything but simply stared at Jasper attempting to keep a cool grimace.

"What do you have going on with her? Do you have little SECRETS OR SOMETHING?" Once more I didn't do anything but stare at him. That foreign surge within me kept me silent. It wouldn't even allow me to whisper.

"Why would you choose her over us?" This time I looked down on the floor. I wasn't keeping any secrets. I didn't want to. I couldn't help it. All of a sudden that image of Bella flashed into my mind again. When she turned her heart shaped face over her shoulder while smiling at me so confidently, strong, proud, and lovely. It was like that smile had put a magic spell on me and made me her loyal servant. The way her dark red eyes glistened with beautiful stars that had seen life times that we couldn't even imagine. She was... incredible.

Suddenly I heard Jasper gasp. "You have got to be joking." My eyes immediately snapped back up as I read the tenor of his thoughts. He began to chuckle, softly and half heartedly.

"What?" Emmett asked confused. Jasper shook his head slowly while covering his eyes with drops of amusement.

"You're INFATUATED with her!" Emmett let out a bear of a puff as Jasper spoke his mind. Rosalie shook her head while her mouth dropped to the floor. Alice's expression however, remained blank.

"Now that's a ridiculous theory." I tried to fight it. Jasper shook his head and began to laugh.

"OH PLEASE EDWARD! You might have mastered the art of lying to perfection but your emotions are wide open field which I can grace through unchallenged. I felt what you felt. That certain desire and unknown passion that you have never before experienced is beginning to consume your electric impulses isn't it? Yes. I can feel it even now."

I didn't know what to say. Jasper had looked deeper than I ever thought he would. But how could he sense these emotions when they were still so alien to me I though frustrated. Lately, I didn't even think that some of these emotions even belonged to me. It felt like there was somebody else inside of me. I had thought that Bella was beautiful before and that there was something mysterious in her aura that had caused me to take a second look but… But those emotions, my emotions, were nothing but seedlings. They were still growing and would have to be nourished with the knowledge and essence of Bella. Yet, there were these other feelings that felt like fully blossoming trees. These emotions…felt old.

"Let's go." Jasper sneered at me and turned to walk towards the entry door with Alice in his arm. Why didn't Alice have a similar reaction to all of this like the others? Was there something else bothering her that easily overshadowed all of this somehow? Rosalie and Emmett both gave me a mixed look. Rosalie was glaring and adding this insult to the last that I had given to her. Which reminded me, I still had to apologize for that. Emmett who had always been my favorite brother wasn't all too excited about my silent tongue as well. They trailed behind Jasper and Alice and headed out the door.

Great, just great. I had once more failed in doing what I had planned to do. I was thirsty myself but I could have held out for a few more days. What were they going to hunt anyway? Were there any animals left in the deserted and dark forest? I couldn't just let them go. No, I had to follow them and take any damage if there should be some. This was my fault and I had to make sure that I wouldn't stir any more distress.

I got up from the loveseat and bolted out the door. I reached the bottom of the steps in no time and picked up on their fresh scents leading behind the house and over the lake. With but one simple leap I found myself on the others side and resumed tracking their aromas into this tonight anyway, spooky forest.

As I ran through the moss covered trees and rocks I for the first time noticed how truly empty the forest had become. There was but a faint odor of elk and deer left that had passed here days ago. There weren't even birds in the air. I couldn't even detect the almost silent stomping of spiders, ants, and other micro insects. There was something here that had stirred them and caused them to flee in terror.

Fortunately though, they had been lucky. I could hear them somewhere ahead of me. My brothers and sisters were fortunate enough to have found some cattle that had apparently not made it out of the forest in time. Though the thirst burned in the back of my throat I began to slow my pace. I slowed down enough until I was simply walking with human speed.

Though the red eyed monster in me screamed for me to join my brethren and devour the elixir that would strengthen the evil acid within me and that would sustain me, I couldn't. This was certainly what many humans felt when they were depressed and down, they couldn't eat either. I could hear the hissing and growling in the distance as the others began to feed but felt no need to go and join them.

I took a look at my surroundings. The forest was quiet, too quiet. I was just glad that we weren't that far into the interior and really nowhere near the mountains. We might have been just a few miles away from the house. The jog didn't take that long. Maybe we were just far enough away. Suddenly all of these images entered my thoughts of some hideous and grotesque winged beast swiping down and picking us off one by one.

I hoped that these unpleasant visions would stay in the area of imagery. I couldn't bear the thought of something happening to any one of them because of me. But when would it be alright to venture back out into the forest? I certainly couldn't see Bella going through all the trouble to come to us and report or even tell us that it was fine to join the wilderness again. She might already be gone. I didn't like that thought, and for once, it was my own.

But… maybe, just maybe… she was still here. There was a low and nearly faded scent that covered the trees going west. I almost didn't notice if I hadn't walked so close to the trees. Carefully I moved my nose very close to the tree and breathed in the mouthwatering scent it held. Jasmine… Freesias… Brimstone… Lavender… It was Bella's intoxicated fragrance. I smiled at the scent. It was like a festival of aphrodisiacs.

Hmm… The scent was actually a couple of days old. At first the memory of Port Angeles consumed my thoughts and of how she had lured me into that dark alley to take what she needed. But this didn't seem to be the case. This scent was perhaps four or so days old. It was already mixed with the nutty smell of squirrels, and birds. Had the Moriatus come this close to our house for Bella to have traveled this far as well?

Why did she have such a hard time tracking it? I could actually see the difficulty to some degree that concerned tracking an object that was airborne. Although, it wouldn't always stay in the air would it? It must certainly land at some point, right? I didn't know enough about this thing to draw these conclusions even though I really wanted to.

I traced my long white fingers across the earthy and wet bark of the tree. I tried to intertwine my own scent with Bella's to see how it would smell. My own scent of lilacs fused with the scent of jasmine and freesias. Unfortunately Bella's scent was to faded for me to obtain any level of serious fragrance.

Her scent trailed deeper into the forest and towards the unknown. For a second I played with the idea of following it to see where it had gotten her. Ever since that encounter with those strange visions I've been having the feeling and the urges to find Bella again. Seeing all of those strange images somehow bonded me to her, or at least that's what it felt like.

I took a look over my shoulder and could still hear the low growling of my siblings as they took down their prey. I was surprised to find that they were actually still at it. Their bodies must have been severely drained for them to take in so much blood now. Would they notice if I was gone? It would only be a second. If the trail would go to deep into the forest I would stop and turn around. At least that's what I was trying to make myself belief. She wouldn't hurt me… I don't know how I knew but I did.

Oh what the hay. I took off into the direction Bella's scent lead to. Her smell was like some strange and foreign chemical that caused all my senses to spin out of control. It was so addicting though, like some sort of drug. It simply drew me in.

Bella had been closer than I had thought. While I ran and jumped over small rocks and large roots of trees I could see our mansion through the thick veil of leaves with my naked eye. Wait a minute. Might it have been this trail she had taken in order to get to our house and to pilfer Carlisle's book? It could have been.

After only a handful of seconds I noticed that the trail became weaker and weaker. The constant rain we had to endure over the past couple of days and today almost entirely cleared the forest of that beautiful scent.

_THUD_

I stopped! Whatever was left of the scent lead a little further into the forest but I had to cut off my pursue. There was a noise in the jungle ahead of me. Several times I heard that same sound and realized immediately that it was the sound of feet. Though the incoming object was foreign to me I released a sigh of relieve. My mind had immediately traveled to those dark images of some ferocious beast from that evil place in time. From what I knew and heard that night with Bella, I knew that they had wings, big wings that they used in order to fly. Still, who's to say that they can't travel by foot? That however, would be very unwise. It would make tracking them a lot simpler.

Either way, I knew that it was not the Moriatus that Bella spoke of. These gentle rumbles in the ground did not come from any beast, but rather another kind. Vampires!

I could hear two distinct pairs of feet traveling towards me that were possibly a minute or so out. Because they were so close it was already too late to run. If I ran now they would more or likely attempt to track me. Of course that wasn't such a bad idea. If I found Jasper, Emmett, Rosalie, and Alice they would be outnumbered. There were only two.

But if these two were capable of causing damage then the last thing I wanted to do was lead them to my family. After all, because of my silence we were out here. It was because of me that they didn't know. I felt so ashamed.

Though I was a bit nervous at first I relaxed so very, very little when I heard their voices. It was two vampires that I knew; two vampires that knew Bella as well.

From in-between the crowded trees and soggy leaves, and over the silver layering of mist two shadowy figures erupted from the gloomy darkness. The male stepped out with a mocking and dangerous grin plastered on his face. Next to him emerged a woman from the depth of the forest. Her flaming and soaring red curls illuminated the small dark spot in which we met.

James, and Victoria, returned! For what I don't know even though I had a pretty good idea.

Darkness approached and now it was here.

**(Authors Note)** – Sorry for this chapter being a little drag I know that most of you probably like the history and excitement but as we all know these chapters are important too. Especially if you're setting something up :-)! Next chapter the Cullen's will finally be facing the feared Moriatus. Also, here's something to look forward too: One of the Cullen's may not make it unless a certain age old vampire elder decides to cooperate. **PLEASE REVIEW.**

Thanks to Nazz, Eli, angie, tdg and all you others for your reviews that I can't respond to because people don't know how to log in ;-)! Really thanks though and I hope you'll continue to read and review.

Thanks also goes out to my fabulous Beta for helping to revise this chapter. **ASHGOLDEN!**

P.S I have to ask, does anybody else think that the new directors of New Moon and Eclipse are out of their minds? THEY ARE RUINING A VERY GOOD THING! Twilight was great but New Moon sucked especially the make up and eyes. And it seems as if Eclipse will be facing the same fate. Sorry, but I just had to get that out. Let me know you're opinions as well


	19. Chapter 18

Massacre

The gloomy skies were still filled with thick, fat clouds that were in turn throwing drizzly rain drops upon our unsuspecting town. In the distance I heard the almost silent growling of my siblings as they devoured the elixir that would temporarily satiate the monsters that dwelt within each one of them, and me. However, I was faced with two monsters myself now and they happened to be very real.

James and Victoria emerged from behind a thin layer of mist and out of the forest to join me in this small clearing. I had tried to follow Bella's scent and see where it would end, and yet again it let me to danger. Although, I doubt she had anything to do with this. Her scent had been a few days old and even more so I knew that these two were unaware of who Bella was. Though I'm sure she could make new friends…

But what would they want now? Why return to Forks? We were the ones that claimed these lands, and the blood. Why would they return knowing they would be outnumbered. Perhaps now the odds were in their favor but they would only be for fleeting minutes. It wouldn't take me long at all to turn around and make a dash for the others at which time they would be the ones outnumbered.

Victoria smiled a deep dark grimace and allowed her bright red curls to fall over her face as she wore that taunting smile. James was no better. He cocked his head to the side and stared at me through is bright red eyes. He too wore a smile of mockery. They had put on those same emotions when we had first encountered them in our baseball clearing not too long ago.

James's thoughts were quite disturbing. He played with the idea of a small showdown between the two of us just so he could find some excitement. But the noises of my feeding brothers and sisters in the distance dismantled that thought rather quickly.

Victoria on the other hand I favored right about now. She wished not to spend a lot of time around these parts hence our life style and numbers. She looked down on us because of how we lived. There were also no reasons in her thoughts to explain her status on our life style. Victoria's misty thoughts revealed to me the reason why those two had decided to venture back towards us, and this might turn out to be a problem.

James took a comfortable and relaxed step forward. I slightly turned my body to the side and glared at the both of them from beneath my thin eye lashes. He pulled his lips up into a crooked grin still oozing with mockery.

"Hello again." His low and rusty voice sounded dangerous though it didn't scare me whatsoever. I remained silent. I wouldn't know what to say to those two. All I knew was I had to make sure not to say anything that would provoke them. I nodded once into his direction as a sign of acknowledgement.

"How have you been?" Oh please. Why try to make small talk. His mind revealed that he couldn't care less to how I've been. I don't even think he knew my name. He didn't care for it.

"Not a talkative one are you?" A small rusty chuckle erupted from between his teeth. Victoria laughed in union with James. Somehow Victoria came off to me as a truly sadistic and naïve vampire. It was here mere presence and the way she handles herself that unleashed those feelings unto me.

"Well allow me to put your mind at ease. We are not here looking for a fight. There. Feel better sheep eater?" I already knew that they weren't here for that. I still felt my lips quiver to hold back a menacing growl that was building up in the back of my throat when he called me a "sheep eater". Was he trying to provoke me instead of I him?

"We only have one question and once we get the answer we want we'll be on our way. Would that be an acceptable deed my friend?" Why so formal all of a sudden? Perhaps it was fear that made it so. I knew he heard my siblings in the distance. Both of them were outnumbered. I nodded once again. I already knew the question that they would ask of me. Unfortunately for them, the answer I'd give wouldn't be what they would want to her.

"Tell me, have you seen our _Creole _friend Laurent? He left us a week ago for some self discovery. The way you live out your immortalities intrigued him and he meant to return here to ask you more questions. It has been a few days since we heard from him. Just tell me if he came back here or not."

Suddenly that gruesome image of Laurent's torn body reappeared in front of me. His limbs that had been completely torn asunder and slashed, and gutted continued to send a chill down my spine. Half of his face had been ripped of as well while the other half had deep claw marks on them. His body had been destroyed to such an extend that not even his healing capabilities could have saved him. Further, he could not have hoped to regenerate with no venom in his system.

Once more I was faced with a rather difficult decision. Do I tell them the truth about Laurent? What would their reaction be? Would they believe me or rather blame me? If I was unable to tell my family about the Moriatus would I be able to tell them?

Strange enough, that surge or feelings that I had been experiencing had apparently no opinion about this. They remained completely silent and I could not feel them even one bit.

Should I just lie to them? Would that be the more prudent route? I guess I had to. I'm sure the truth would be more destructive than releasing.

"He has not been back here." As soon as the words spilled over my lips a small hiss escaped Victoria's mouth.

"He lies," she whispered in a hushed tone. James caught her glance and stared at her intently. How would she know! There was no hesitation in my answer. Was she just trying to start something? Oh…

Apparently they had followed Laurent's scent up the mountain road until they found the small clearing in which Laurent had met his doom. Of course they were unable to acquire anything since Bella set his mangled remains ablaze but they did detect hints of my own scent, and the scent of the others. It was troubling that she had not thought of this before perhaps then I could have thought of a counter argument.

It was indeed suspicious. Laurent's scent had disappeared and they weren't able to trace it anywhere else. The aromas alone could have easily told the story of a confrontation, and with Laurent's scent disappearing after and ours remaining… Lets just say it didn't create a very favoring mental image for us.

James turned away from Victoria's glare and gave me a rather mixed look. I saw his eyes traveling the length of me. He believed her immediately. However, he was still troubled. Apparently we had made a rather positive impression the day we had first met them and to him didn't seem like the vampires that would brutally murder another for no apparent reason. James narrowed his eyes at me.

"What happened?" He decided to believe the words of his lover. His tone had become angry almost. I couldn't tell them even if it appeared that I could. That strange feeling, the surge, had not bothered me the entire time when I had thought about revealing that dark secret between me and Bella to these two. Usually, when I merely thought of it, it created this wall in my mind trying to isolate my waking thoughts from the Moriatus. It was all so strange.

I couldn't tell them though. If I did they would immediately realize that I had lied and that would not be good for this relationship. The circumstances would be too suspicious as well. Had they even heard of these things? Would they think I was simply making it up to cover up the truth they sought?

What should I do?

Suddenly a shadow crossed over us and…

_Flap! _

My bones became stiff as death. I felt my venom stopping its passageways through my veins when I heard that noise! I could feel my fingers beginning to slightly tremble as the images of Laurent returned once more. It couldn't be. Out of all the times… I breathed a short breath of anticipation. It couldn't be…

Victoria and James had seen the shadow as well, and heard the noise of flapping wings but did not see the object from where these things came. Both of them looked to the sky with wide surprised eyes. I turned around myself and looked at the trees.

Did I just imagine that? No, I couldn't have otherwise Victoria and James wouldn't be searching the skies like me. How ironic… I had no idea how to explain to them the events surrounding Laurent's death but apparently destiny was going to do it for me.

My lips began to quiver again but this time it was not out of anger. Where is it? Where is it? There was no scent in the air. Why wasn't there a scent that could give it away? Oh why now? Why couldn't… as horrible as it may sound why couldn't it have just waited until it was only James and Victoria. I cared for my family much more than two sadistic, bloodthirsty, and battle greedy vampires.

Of all the trees that stood here and that we were surrounded by there was one that was the tallest. Its crown bore dark green leaves that were… rustling. Victoria and James saw it too. It looked like something was moving the branches or fiddling through the leaves. I think I may just have found where…

There was a small noise that sounded much like an explosion as from atop the tallest tree two gigantic dark brown, almost black, wings erupted and into our sight. They were making small cracking noises as they were slowly withdrawing and slowly regaining length. They looked like the wings of a bat. The interior of the wings themselves were a very light orange, almost red with deep blue veins pulsating through them. On each end of the wings tip were what looked like a single claw? It was white, and looked like a sharp bone. They were enormous and at least seven feet in length, each of them.

I couldn't take my eyes off of it, and neither could the two nomadic vampires behind me. Suddenly the wings flapped and a body emerged from the trees and shot up in the air where it stayed for only a mere second before it began to descend. It gained speed and was like a locomotive. It collided with the ground causing a glass shattering crack that swept us off our feet. We managed however to stay on our own and retained from falling down. The thing was now in our full view.

It raised its lowered head and revealed its monstrous visage to us. I heard it breathing. When it breathed in it was nothing special but as it exhaled it made a rattling like sound that could easily be mistaken with that of a rattle snake.

It was at least six foot tall. It's entire body was very dark, almost a dark brown or maybe black. It was extremely muscular with a six pack covering its stomach and it had huge biceps. It wore no clothing of any kind and at first glance appeared to have no gender. But then again, what did I know of them. My eyes trailed down to its muscular legs and toes that were inhabited by long white nails that just like the claws on its wings seemed to be made of bone.

I focused my vision and began ascending upon its body until I reached its fingers that were shaking and moving. They were stretching before retreating into a fist while cracking. The fingers too had long white bone like nails. I began to move my eyes again until finally I reached its countenance. I wished I hadn't looked at it.

It had a oval shaped face with a hooked nose. It seemed tight and somewhat wet. It looked like it was covered in vertical craters with bite marks on its left cheek. It had pointed ears that made me truly think it was some sort of demon! Its hair was long and jet black. It reminded me of Aro's as I had seen it in Carlisle's mind. Its hair seemed…greasy. It reached all the way down over its strong chest and probably shoulder blades in the back. Its eyes were ice cold. They were such a light blue that they were almost white with a light yellow coloring around its pupil. It was bearing its teeth us. They were pearly white and looked like the teeth of a shark but thinner and pointier.

This without a doubt in my thoughts was the very thing that Bella had pursued all the way here, to Forks! The Moriatus! A gargoyle, a creature of a world that no minds can remember besides perhaps those that have been forgotten by mortals and immortals alike.

_What the hell is that thing…_

_I have never seen anything like this before. What sort of… couldn't be a werewolf… No… what? _

Truly, Victoria and James's mental questions were as good as mine. I was no expert on this thing either. I knew what it was, what it did, and that was it.

Slowly, I began to feel fear settling within me. This creature was monstrous and looked like some sort of devil. That noise when it exhaled made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. It sounded like a rattle snake but softer and more vicious somehow. It stared the three of us down.

At first it seemed to be looking at me and inhaling deeply. It cocked its head quickly to the right that caused an interruption to my breathing. It cocked it back to the left as soon as it had done so to the right. I could see the red veins in the whites of its eyes. I had to look away. I refocused my vision back to its body. Its body was strange indeed. It looked like it was made out of dark rocks. Its texture appeared smooth though, and wet.

I hesitantly looked back up and saw it had changed its view to Victoria now. Victoria locked eyes with it. She pulled her lips up disgusted. Once more the Moriatus cocked its head quickly to the right and then to the left. I heard it again as it inhaled deeply and back out with that rattling noise. What was it doing? Mayb… Oh hell no…

The realization hit me rather quickly. Oh God… It was picking out which one of us… Oh…Dammit. I started to take a step backwards. I saw James and Victoria glancing into my direction.

Suddenly the Moriatus crouched but only to immediately stand back up straight with its arms spread out to the side and face pointed to the sky and screeched.

"AAAHHHH," I screamed in agony. I covered my ears and sank to my knees. What the he… Oh JESUS! My ear drums were ready to pop! My vision began to shake and become blurry as its screeching was stunning all three of us. James had sunk to his knees as well and was howling in pain. Victoria was on the ground completely rolling from side to side with her hands covering her ears too.

Oh God. My head was pounding. It was like I could feel my long lost and forgotten heart beat up there. The pain grew worse as it continued its screeching. Was this perhaps some sort of method to disable vampires before it would strike? If it was then it was truly a successful campaign because I could focus on nothing but that excruciating pain in my ears and head.

The screech began to die down and grow quieter. But even as quiet as it became it was still pure agony. Through my eyes it seemed like there was an earthquake here as everything appeared to be shaking violently before me.

Finally, after what felt like a life age, the horrific screech that had paralyzed us disappeared and the Moriatus looked back at all three of us. Its face bore a purely evil look. Its lips were shaking as its red tongue graced over its bone like teeth.

Suddenly its stretched out its wings and pointed the spines of them towards us. They flung out and one of them was heading directly towards... IT IMPACTED WITH ME. Its length hit my entire torso, and barely missed my crotch. It lifted me off of the ground and catapulted me away until I crashed into a nearby tree behind me. When I smashed into the tree I could hear and feel every single one of my ribs breaking. I fell to the ground and grunted in pain.

Not only me though. It had done the exact same thing to Victoria. She too collided with a tree and I heard several of her bones break as well. Now I wished I had gone hunting with the others. I breathed in and immediately stopped as it caused me even more pain. Thanks to the venom however I already felt the pain growing numb. Still, the torment was immense.

James still sat in the middle of the clearing. He turned around shocked and searched for Victoria. His eyes grew wide and pained as he saw her collapsing and falling over. The Moriatus!

Now I knew which one of us it wanted. Suddenly its wings pointed its claws directly at James and took advantage of his distraction. I summoned whatever breath I had left within me…

"WATCH OUT!" It was too late. James took notice of me as I screamed and turned back around but it was too late. The two claws of the Moriatus' wing flung forward piercing his stomach and erupting out of his back with blood and venom spilling everywhere. James jerked his head towards the sky and screamed in agony.

He crippled towards the ground and reached for the tips of the wings in a futile attempt to salvage them out of his body. The Moriatus growled a deep and menacing hiss and wheeled in James like a fish on a hook. James flew forward and the gargoyle gripped his face and head with but one of his opened palms. James reached for the Moriatus' hand and began to claw at it.

From beside me I could hear Victoria wheezing and breathing heavily as she had to witness the horrendous scene before her. Much like myself she had been handicapped by the beast and was unable to move until the venom would heal her sufficiently.

Suddenly the gargoyle reached behind James with its other claws and ripped off his leather jacket and shirt exposing his naked skin to the cool afternoon air. It reached up and dug its claws into his body right above his arm. I could hear James's muffled scream through the monsters palm as its razor sharp claws dug into his body. The Moriatus suddenly began to open the small area of the neck between James's head and arm pulling them apart while drool was dripping down its stony dark jaw. James' screams intensified as the thing began to slowly tear apart his body.

Then, it opened its mouth and flashed its bony teeth and sunk them into James's neck. It jerked its head violently from side to side while biting and swallowing James's bodily fluids. The screams of James were easily overheard by the sound of its growling, and slashing noises. It dragged its claws down James's shoulder blade's leaving deep and dark gashes there.

Victoria howled in distress as she witnessed as this beast was feasting on her mate. She tried to get up but continuously returned to the ground. She gripped her stomach in pain as I could hear her bones moving within her. There was a cracking noise coming from James and the gargoyle.

I returned my vision to the horrific event before me and saw the Moriatus pulling off James's arm. It amputated it and threw it to the ground. It ran its other hand that was covering James's face down the back of his head, pulling of his hair and skin. It was then when I noticed that James's screams had died away.

His mind was clouded and nearly silent. All I could see through his eyes were the clouds above as his thoughts slowly drifted into nothingness. He was dying.

It unearthed its teeth from the nomad's body and hissed towards the sky while dark red blood and silvery lime green venom was flooding from its mouth. Was this how Laurent had meant his end as well? This gruesome death? James was barely moving. The one arm that was still attached to his body was twitching like his fingers. I saw rivers of blood coming from the open wound of his neck and traveling down the length of his body. There wasn't a lot of venom mixed in with the blood so the Moriatus must have gotten it all.

It jerked its wings back and retrieved its claws from James's body and let him collapse to the ground. Now on the cold ground he jerked and twitched all over while the heavy scent of clean blood lay in the air. James was dead.

All the venom that had been in his body was drained from him and without the venom a vampire could not live. His mind was silent and completely blank; there was nothing left. The blood that remained in his lifeless body was now completely clean and even smelt delicious. Without the venom to taint either the smell or taste this blood could possibly be consumed again. But the mere thought of such an act was repulsive and absolutely disgusting.

I focused my attention back to the Moriatus as it focused its own attention back to us. There were still small quantities of venom dripping down its chin as it breathed in and made those rattling noises from somewhere in its throat. It looked at me, solely. I used the tree behind me to get up off the ground and noticed that the venom had already done a good job with healing my body. My bones were already on the mend and almost healed. Breathing was easier as well, I was glad I was healing so rapidly but how much it would help I didn't know.

I stood on my own two feet again. Victoria was lying on her stomach and sobbing into the ground. She had lost her mate and she was able to do nothing but watch. This was going to be a pain she would have to live with for the rest of eternity, if she would live. I couldn't even comprehend that.

I took a step forward and bared my teeth at the Moriatus and barely saw as the tips of its wings flung forward once more.

I was suddenly being thrown back and collided with the tree behind me again. As I impacted the wooden giant I felt both of my shoulders breaking. I bit my lip and groaned in misery. Oh God no, it had pinned me just like it had James in but a mere second. I was waiting for the pain in my stomach. I had expected it to pierce me just like James and then wheel me in to do the same to me but surprisingly I felt nothing but the shattering and stabbing pain in my shoulders.

I opened my eyes and looked down. It had done me differently. Its two claws that were attached to the tips of its wings had dug through my shirt right beneath my arms and connected with the tree, trapping me there.

I encircled my hands around each one of the spines of the wings and felt their texture in my palms. They felt like the surface of a rock. They were wet as well, and almost oily like, and quite slippery. I applied pressure now and used all my might in trying to get them out from underneath my pits so I could free myself.

Suddenly, instead of bringing me to it, the Moriatus flew towards me and stopped only inches from smashing into me. It ripped open its mouth and unleashed its hellish scream.

"OH...MOTHER OF...!" I shouted in pain and unraveled my hands from its wings to cover my ears. I felt like I was being shaken from side to side and given a completely blurry vision. It was even worse this time since it was so close to me. I could see the interior of its almost white blue like eyes as they glared at me. My ear drums were taking a great toll because of this screech. In addition, slowly I felt all the energy in my body somehow leaving me and my arms and legs falling to my sides.

It stopped. Apparently this screech indeed was some sort of method to weaken vampires. It was the only rational explanation I could think of. It was so close to me now. Both of our noses were almost touching each other. I could feel its warm and wet breath on my skin. Jesus… this thing was hideous and truly resembled a demon right out of the hell.

It opened its mouth and flashed its bright red tongue. It jerked it gently and began closing in on my face. I closed my eyes and turned my head into the distance to the side of me.

_Oh for the love of…_

I could feel the wet and rough texture of its tongue as it graced my chin and slowly pulled up on the side of my cheek. It was like it was tasting me.

Then I felt its hand gripping my face while the other gripped my shoulder and exposing my neck in-between. Its screech had drained me so much that I couldn't even move a finger anymore. I had spent the remains of my energy turning away from it. And again I could feel its tongue moving across my neck like it was marking the spot where it would dig its teeth into.

Was this the end then? Was this how I would finally leave this world? There was nothing left for me now. But at least I can take comfort in knowing that for now my brothers and sisters would be safe. But for how long? Would it be satisfied with just James and me, perhaps Victoria, or would it devour them too?

This was ALL BELLA'S FAULT! Why did she have to pull the lonely soldier routine? Why couldn't she have asked us for help. Maybe then we could have eliminated this thing days ago. It was her fault that this was happening. She had no consideration for the lives of others. Even when we found Laurent's body up in the mountains there were no emotions in her eyes whatsoever. Damn her!

The gargoyle moved its head to my neck and I felt the warm chill of its breath as it blew across my skin. This was it. Just like James I would now also be faced with this doom. For one last time, I saw the images of Carlisle, Esme, Alice, Jasper, Emmett, and Rosalie before me. They were smiling at me. It was the image of my family that I had loved for the last few decades. I prayed they would be okay. I hoped to God that somehow they would escape this fate. Once more though, I could take comfort in knowing that it would be me it was taking and not one of them.

I opened my eyes wanting to see the last bit of green before I would burn in the eternal flames of damnation below. One last tree, or one last flower, or just anything else that was pretty and a reminder of the beautiful world in which we lived that I wanted to take with me. I wanted one…last…memory.

But instead of the flowers or trees I saw something else. In a very short distance, and between the dark trees I saw a translucent figure standing there, a figure which I could see through. I looked up and at his face. It was the image, vision, or whatever the heck it was I had seen in my room two days ago. The vision of me but different; human.

I locked eyes with him. His own emerald orbs were glowing with determination I noticed as he nodded his head. He opened his mouth…

_Believe…_

_Believe…sleeping…spirit…_

_Believe…in…my...princess…_

I didn't have time nor the energy to think about these cryptic words or try to comprehend with that trickery as right next to my ear I heard the Moriatus growl and could feel drool on my neck. I closed my eyes and only hoped that this wouldn't take but a minute.

Goodbye Carlisle, and I'm sorry! Esme, I love you like a mother. A love deeper than I could have ever had even with my own human mother. Emmett and Jasper please take care of everyone and for once stop your bickering and fighting between each other.

Rosalie, please forgive me… I love you.

Alice… I'll miss you. Please, let your visions be your sight and guide them into the next millennium. Do not seek material possession but rather the love of one another.

Bella…

_Believe… Believe… in… OUR… princess…_

A dry sob escaped my lifeless throat as I uttered my final word.

"Goodbye."

* * *

**(Authors Note) – **I know I'm a CLIFFHANGER FIEND but it is your agony that sustains me :-)! I'll try to update as soon as I can. **PLEASE REVIEW! **Thanks also goes out to my Beta ASHGOLDEN who as always helped revise and make it better. Love you Ashley!

Thanks for your reviews Eli, and Nazz. Hope you guys continue to read, review and most of all ENJOY!

Responding to New Moon and Twilight: The special effects in New Moon to me were okay but that movie moved WAY TO FAST for me. I mean the whole almost killing Bella in the very beginning and then leaving part just all happened too fast. The only thing I really liked about the movie was the ending and that fight scene between Edward and Felix that they added. I thought that was pretty good.

Twilight to me was better because for some reason it was more tasteful.

Okay, enough about the movies. Now there is an opinion that I would love for you guys to tell me about when you review. How many people loath Kristen Stewart? That chick completely ruined the character of Bella for me. She is a very mediocre actress that should have never gotten that part. She made Bella seem arrogant and stuck up. And my God her performance in New Moon was less that poor. Especially that scene when she was in bed screaming. PATHETIC. Sorry but that's just my opinion. Next chapter I'll tell you what I think of Rob. Let me know what you guys think. Review please!


	20. Chapter 19

One

In this place, this moment, and this instant I felt my life leaving my cold and soulless body while it was still active. I could feel the sharp and bone like teeth of the demon slowly gracing my neck and knew that any second now I would feel a mind numbing pain that I before could have never imagined. Then, only after a few short minutes the chains binding me to this earth would release my dark being and send me to the sea of fire and whirl me towards the eternal chasms of hell.

_Believe…_

Believe, believe, and believe in what? There is nothing left to believe in. My life would end while the others would linger on and hopefully make it through this darkness that the Moriatus brought with it. There was nothing I could believe in now that would spare me from this fiend.

_Her…_

Her? Bella? What in the world could that cold hearted wrench do? She was the one that could not invest enough trust in anybody but herself in order to stop this hellish beast. It was her fault for not giving us the advantage over this monster. She could have had at least the decency of taking the element of surprise away but she left that very much in tact too. She didn't care about me, or us. There were no lenient emotions within her. There was nothing but arrogance, menace, superiority, and a little black heart.

_You…speak…of…yourself? _

Though it was not this counter argument that made me raise my eyelids there was something else. Somewhere from behind this beast and where my eyes could not travel I suddenly heard several growls and hisses erupt. They were all too familiar. Several fountains of hope that had gone dry when I had first laid eyes on the Moriatus began to spring once more even though I wished they hadn't.

Suddenly the rock like structure of the Moriatus' skin that was scratching my own diamond like one was gone. The grip it had on my head and shoulder disappeared and I felt a breath of relieve running through my body. Soon I felt my entire being become softer and lighter until finally I felt myself falling. I hit the ground with my bottom first and finally realized that the Moriatus was no longer holding me and had unattached itself from me completely.

I felt the wet and soggy soil beneath my trembling fingers and the small and damp drops of rain brushing up against my cheeks. They felt like tears falling from the sky, as if the clouds were crying. I drew a fresh breath through my nose as four distinctive and accustomed scents invaded me. Though it happened all too fast and my superior vampire mind already solved this simple equation I didn't want to believe it. The fours scents of seaweed, rosemary, pine, and chocolate belonged to those that I cared for.

Jasper, Alice, Rosalie, and Emmett must have finally overheard the tense and ferocious noises that emanated from the forest and decided to pilgrimage to the source of the entire ruckus. Unfortunately for them they were early enough to save me from a faith that I liked to believe was truly worse than even death itself. However, now, they would undoubtedly have to share this grisly fate.

I tried to recount the events of just before and return my hold on the scenery around me. I was leaning up against the tree behind me and felt another numbing in my shoulders. They had been broken, and shattered. It would take the venom a few minutes to reorganize my bones and mend what had been damaged. I couldn't believe how strong this monster was, and how much energy it held within. It was surprising that these things had stayed hidden and away from the Volturi. From all the stories I heard of werewolves from Carlisle they seemed to be nothing but lovable puppies compared to these winged spawns of darkness. Although, some vampires must know of these things and how to deal with such abominable entities since Bella was aware of their existence. If perhaps one vampire knew then could there possibly be more? Far too many question, and far less answers shrouded in mists too thick to penetrate.

A mere second passed since I had returned to the ground and reopened my eyes, and now fixed all my attention to the scene before me. The grizzly Moriatus stood with its back turned towards the other side of the forest now. Its wings were spread out far on both sides. The sharp and bone like claws on their tips were pierced and seemed ready to strike. Its opponents were my siblings. I could see them through the monsters legs and from underneath its wings.

All four of them had their lips curled over their teeth while hissing and growling. Their eyes were wide with shock, and surprise. Much like me they had never seen such a being before and didn't know how to respond nor to act. Not even Jasper who was such a skilled and experienced fighter would know how to handle himself in a situation such as this.

_SON OF A B… WHAT ON EARTH IS THAT SUPPOSED TO BE? CARLISLE NEVER MENTIONED ANYTHING LIKE THIS. _Emmett's questions were truly as good as mine. There was more to the supernatural realm than any of us ever wanted to believe.

_Its intentions are obviously hostile. The remains on the floor, and the way it cornered Edward definitely implies negative objectives. How do I fight this thing? What the hell is it for God's sake? No matter what it is, if it should dare threaten Alice then that will be the last thing it'll ever do. _Jasper had already gone into warrior mode. He was already contemplating strategies and ideas on how to fight this thing. Even though he had always been the tactical one his mind was now in an uproar of emotions; an ocean of endless confusion and self doubt.

_The way it held Edward… I'm sure that it wanted to hurt him. All my stars and garters did it do this to… I believe this was once James here on the ground. His claw marks and bites look strangely familiar. _Alice was well on her way to piecing this simple puzzle together, and would soon discover a safe passage through my web of lies.

_Of course! The wounds match the ones that Laurent's mangled body had. But that would mean it was this creature that had murdered him. But why would… What was her name again? Bella? Yes! Why did she take the blame then? Admittedly at the time I thought it was her too. The circumstances were simply too suspicious. But why? Why in the world would she… Perhaps it has something to do with… Why couldn't I have seen this? _

_However, this now explains a few things. It wasn't this Bella that was interfering with my visions, no! It actually was this thing. I can't see the future; nothing but blackness. This would mean though that Bella had always been near it in order to even stay off of my radar. Why was she near it? Could it have something to do with taking Edward's venom and that whole venenum memoria ordeal Carlisle discussed with us? The Mark of the Gods? Was she here to hunt this thing? I wish he could tell me. _

Alice quickly scanned through her thoughts being able to connect the proper pieces to establish the truth that she now possessed. I knew that if anyone could look beyond my curtain of deception it would be her. Who was _he_?

_Edward knew about this! I know that self loathing bastard did. _Rosalie as always had nothing but friendly thoughts towards me. I didn't blame her; I didn't blame any of them. Rosalie too recalled the events of that flaming night.

_Though I attacked and followed Emmett I knew that something was strange. Why would Edward defend a complete stranger? Well now I know. He knew something that we didn't. That selfish moron. I know that he knew about this thing. Just look at what it's done. Without a doubt it was it who massacred the other nomad. Edward must have known. How could he have been so selfish? _

Yes Rosalie, you are right. I was selfish. If I had told you then we wouldn't be here right now. I'm sure that instead of trying to find the Moriatus Carlisle would have made us all leave until he believed the area was save again. Go on Rosalie, do even worse. But whatever you do, please don't fight. Just run away! All of you, just run and hide.

Through their eyes I could now see the Moriatus glaring at them and lowering its head to stare even more intensified. Its ice cold eyes leered at them and were surely picking out their next victim. Just turn around monster, just turn around and finish what you started with me and let the others escape. Even if I sacrificed myself the others wouldn't leave. They would stay, and fight because that's the way we Cullen's are. We safeguard one another.

Emmett and Jasper crouched and began growling loudly and flaring their nostrils. Alice and Rosalie followed suit and were but a step behind their husbands. They were the second line of the attack while the men would be the first. How traditional. With the strength I had and felt returning to me I sat up and waved my hand back and forth at them trying to stop their assault. What a futile vendetta it was.

"No… no don't. You have no idea… You can't." My words were broken and second hand. I didn't think that they could win. Something in my gut told me this. The Moriatus took out me and Victoria with but a wave of its wings and completely disabled us before feeding on James. From beside me I could still hear Victoria's muffled sobs as she cried into the ground covered in dirt.

_THEN WHAT DO YOU SUGGEST WE DO EDWARD? WE HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO FIGHT! WILL IT LEAVE IF WE STEP ASIDE? _Through the Moriatus' muscular legs I locked my sight with Jaspers as he mentally screamed and roared at me. No, it wouldn't leave. It wouldn't leave until it was satisfied. I let my lips drop on each side into a whimpering mess and curved my eyebrows saddened. I shook my head defeated.

_Then we have no other choice. Besides, it can't be that tough. We're stronger than James and Victoria. Don't worry, at the end of the day we'll go home just the way we left it. Once we get home though, YOU HAVE SOME EXPLAINING TO DO! _

With that, the mental conversation that was occurring ended. They crouched further to the ground and leaned their bodies forward and were now ready to strike. I could see their fresh and golden glowing honey like eyes focusing in on the Moriatus. It was a good thing they hunted before so….

Jasper and Emmett flew forward while roaring. They both encircled the Moriatus in their arms. Emmett took hold of one of its wings and physically retreated it back to its host and bear hugged the beast. Jasper took hold of the other wing and mimicked Emmett's response and grabbed hold of its torso. Now Alice and Rosalie flung forward. Rosalie jumped at the beast and wrapped her hands around its neck and began twisting it, like trying to break it off. Alice appeared behind it and wove her hand into its hair while putting her foot up against its back like she was trying to get it down and onto the ground. Truly, they all held a good position on top of it. Emmett and Jasper made sure its wings weren't stretched out so it couldn't use them as tools while they entraped its main body in vice grips. Rosalie tried to behead it by slashing and tearing its head from one side to another. Alice on the other hand was the backup player who tried to get the gargoyle on the ground at which time they could all unleash their teeth upon it.

Though this seemed to be a very effective method, especially when used against one of our kind it wouldn't work on this being. The entire time they were attempting to bring it down and dismember it the Moriatus stood still like a heavy rock. It was like a mountain while my brothers and sisters were the wind, and the mountain would not bow to the winds. I took a look at its face through Rosalie's eyes and saw it smirking arrogantly and confidently. Suddenly it raised its eyes and opened its mouth and looked towards the sky. Oh no…

The Moriatus unleashed its hellish cry from somewhere in it's with venom dripping throat. I moved my hands once more to cover my ears. The others began to scream and trash around their bodies while still maintaining a firm grip on its rocky surface.

_WHAT THE HELL!_

_MAKE IT STOP. MAKE IT STOP. MAKE IT STOP. _

_AHHH… MOTHER… JESUS CHRIST! _

_I CAN'T HOLD ON MUCH LONGER! MY EARS, MY EARS! _

Each of them including myself felt the tremendous pain that the Moriatus' screech brought with it. Surprisingly though all four of them managed to hold their own and keep a steady hand on its body while not falling off to the ground, and wriggling around in pain. But for how much longer could they keep this up? As the life weakening scream of the Moriatus continued I felt once more all the energy beginning to leave my body. The method it had to capture its prey was very efficient I had to admit. It even seemed to stop my venom from completing its maintenance. It was like my venom or body froze with the forceful blow of this screech and shivered in fear.

Thankfully though it seemed that the gargoyle wasn't actually able to keep this up forever as its eccentric and dark voice began to descend in magnitude. I was finally able to uncover my eyes and felt the venom in my system returning to what it was doing but this time much swifter so that I could even hear it's sizzling like noises. Jasper, Emmett, Rosalie, and Alice were strong. They were able to still manage a steady hold on it but they had been greatly weakened. All four of them were taking long and heavy breathes while trying to hold their iron grips.

Now, through Rosalie's eyes I saw the Moriatus flash a crooked grin while showing off it's with vampire venom covered teeth. Suddenly a deep and thick chuckle began to spill out of its mouth. Rosalie looked at it perplexed and confused. She had thought that they had been in control throughout this whole confrontation but she was wrong, so very, very wrong.

Its wings cracked and the Moriatus freed itself from Jasper and Emmett's grip and exploded its wings back out while throwing both of them off to the side. Emmett landed to the east of it on the ground and slid across the forest floor until his body hit a tree. Jasper on the other hand was a little higher in the air and flew through the bushes and ferns, and away from our sight into the forest. Now the monster curved its elbow and pointed its palm flat out and shoved it forcefully forward until it impacted Rosalie's body just between her breasts. Rosalie coughed a cry of agony as she flew towards the north and slammed into the top branched of a tree. The branches broke and fell to the ground along with Rosalie.

And of course, last but not least the Moriatus reached behind its body rather quickly; so quick that I couldn't actually detect it. It released its claws and nails from the fist they had been it before and secured a good hold on Alice's head. She in turn immediately released her hold on its pitch black hair and began punching at its arm. The Moriatus lifted Alice up in the air until her legs were just dangling towards the clouds. It took a step back like loading up its energy gauge and threw Alice so hard to the ground that on impact I saw her face, exposed arms, and small bits of her revealing stomach break and crack. She bounced off the ground like a ball and flew right into Rosalie taking them both back down after Rosalie managed to get up and stand on all fours.

It was done. Just like had prophesized all four them were beaten with such ease. Much like before when Bella had made fools of them when she simply waved her hand and crippled them as well. However this time Alice was forced to share the pain as well. They didn't move. Emmett lay heavily up against the tree while pressing his teeth together and patting his own head. He had crushed the tree so bad that I'm sure a regular humans' head would have simply combusted with the sheer pressure of the blow.

I could hear nothing from Jasper. I heard a simple thud when the Moriatus threw him into the woods and that was it. He too must have been handicapped. Rosalie lay beneath Alice trying to get herself off of the ground but that wasn't going to happen. I heard several of her bones moving and shifting. She must have broken quite a few of them. Alice wasn't moving at all. Her lips were merely whimpering. She was worse out of all of them. Hopefully they would heal quicker than I did since their bodies had been freshly replenished with blood.

Suddenly the Moriatus wings spread out and it leaped up and off the ground until it was high up in the air to the point where it looked like nothing but a small black dot. What was it doing now? It wasn't leaving was it? No, not with all of these disabled vampires around that could be easy prey for its hunger. What would it do now then? It was but a short flap of its wings that moved it a little further and above the forest. Now, it began to descend and into the wilderness. What was it doing back there? Wait, OH NO!

JASPER!

As soon as I had uttered his name in my mind it began.

"AAAHHHHH," Jasper's loud and high pitched scream came crashing through the trees carried by the fleeting wind currents. Now through his mind I saw the Moriatus as if it was standing over me instead. The noises… the noises…. There was slashing, and cracking, and sounds of swallowing. Jasper. I felt my body go rigid, and completely stiffen up. Not because I chose to or because the sounds of horror and mental images of what it was doing to Jasper began to conjure themselves into my thoughts but simply because I couldn't.

I heard Emmett growl trying to lift himself off of the ground and throwing a pained and grief stricken gaze towards the trees and to where Jasper was being mutilated. His breaths were shallow and broken.

Alice… I don't even think she knew what was happening. Her body lay on top of Rosalie's as the cracks that were all over her face and arms had just begun to heal. Alice… She didn't know, she didn't know. What would she do or what would happen once she'd realize that…

I tried to lift my arms, and my legs but I couldn't. My wounds had been healed and I was good as knew but still I couldn't move. It was as if there were evanescent chains that had encircled themselves around my legs, arms, torso and neck binding me to this spot; again. But I knew it wasn't any sort of chains. No, I could feel that electric impulse inside of me again. It was the surge that had been dictating my actions for the past few days.

I tried so hard to lift my arms or my legs so I could get up and help or even save Jasper. But these emotions were too strong. They weren't mine… Who did they belong to? Why did this have to happen? Jasper…

Images began to appear before my eyes. They were memories of Jasper smiling on rare occasion. I saw him sitting across from me while we played chess and used to sit for hours figuring out our moves and trying to predict each others as well. I remembered him chuckling lightly when Alice used to call over from another room exposing my moves. She thought it was fair since I would know his as well. I saw him smiling brilliantly at Alice while she held on to his hand and danced around in front of him.

So many memories and so many good times and now just like that they would end? I felt a dry sob beginning to pulsate in my chest. All my fault… all my fault. I kept telling myself that over and over in my head until it was but a chant. Why did this have to happen? Why to us? Why to me?

I closed my eyes horrified when I dared to release the telepathy I was trying to suppress and saw the Moriatus once more as if it was above me with blood and venom dripping down its chin. It's eyes were white and glistening. I began to cry.

Why did I have to listen to Bella? Why didn't I have the strength to fight against my own indecisions and enlighten my family on the ancient relic haunting the woods? It was because of my own stupidity and arrogance that all of this was happening. If only… if only… _Only,_ unfortunately had already faded and the past was as it was and could never be undone nor be changed by anyone. There was nothing left now. When it was finished with Jasper it would come for us. I'm s-so… s-so sorr-y.

_Call…her… _

My eyes snapped back open as the words entered my mind. My lips were quivering over the many dry and imaginary tears I had spilled. In front of me, crouching over the ground was the apparition I had seen before. The mirror image of me when I was human wearing white clothing that revealed a smooth and muscular chest.

_Call… her…_

This time his lips did not move. It was as if this see through image was speaking directly into my mind. Perhaps this was my own subconscious trying to send me a message and was doing so by summoning up this strange vision. I stared right into his eyes and through them as Rosalie and Alice were quivering and paining on the forest ground.

Call her? Call who? Bella? By all rights, it did seem that Bella might be a fair match up against the Moriatus but why did it avoid her. That night in the woods when she held me so closely to her… My emotions soared when I thought about that night again. But again, they weren't my own. The way she held me there, I felt such warmth from her cold body and such nourishment. I thought it was… amazing. Yet, these other emotions thought much more and were far more powerful. They were the blossoming trees compared to mine that were still nothing but seedlings.

I squeezed my eyes together as the sorrow over my head began to drown me and more sobs corrupted my throat. Call her… What in the world did that mean? True, she was powerful enough to maybe stand her ground against the gargoyle but how in the world could she find us here when we were so close to our ultimate doom. Who knows where she is. How in the world was she going to get here? How would I bring her here? For the sake of mental instability I decided to play along and ask my questions mentally. How? How would I call her? Should I shout to high heaven and pray that she would somehow hear? HOW?

_The…winds…. _

I opened my eyes and stared at the apparition appalled. The winds? How on earth are the winds suppose to help me? But in the very instant I asked myself this question I felt a gentle breeze flowing over my face. I felt a dark, foreign, and mystical aura suddenly taking over the clearing as well. The cold winds felt somehow…good upon my face. It was like… the feeling of comfort.

_The…trees…._

Tre..? A sudden soft rustling began to journey through the big crowns of the trees, and even the small bushes and few flowers. I suddenly felt these…these… presences. It was as if though we were not alone.

_The… trees…they… … whisper to each other… They talk… The water… spheres of rain… that can project… stories of untold… untold… gravity… _

What?

_We are life… born by life… living in life… using life… dying… and returning… to life. We are… all… ONE. All… connected… Let the winds…carry your message… through the trees… let them…whisper… Allow… the water… to tell your story… Let the…spirits…travel the…distance… She…will…hear…them. She… is… the only… one left… to hear… the only… one… that… can. Allow… the hushed whispers… to speak… for you… Trust… in… life. _

This.. this made no sense to me. Life? Spirits? Whispers? But how would I do…

_DO…IT! _

I watched him as his eyes grew lower and agitated. Still, it made no sense to me. We are all connected? We are all one? That sounded strangely familiar even though I was sure my thoughts had never taken such a direction. I began to shake my head disappointed over such a deluded sentiment. I didn't believe in such things.

_DO IT! Before.. it… is too…late… _

There was a crashing and the noise of breaking wood when the Moriatus reentered the clearing. Its entire body was covered with blood and venom that was slipping from its mouth and tongue. Jasper… I closed my eyes and tried to focus on Jaspers thoughts and luckily I was able to find them. But… they were broken.. They were fading! Oh no! He was still alive but for how long? The gargoyle began advancing forward again and this time had his eyes set on… on Rosalie. Oh please…

_CALL HER… YOU…BABOON! LET…ME… HELP YOU… USE… THE KNOWLEDGE…. OF THE…ATLANTEANS…_

The knowledge of the Atl…

_DO IT! _

Overcome by the pressure of the words being spat into my mind and the grief that I felt I suddenly felt my body moving of its own accord. I drew in a deep breath of air and looked at the cloud covered sky and unleashed my voice to the winds, trees, and the water dripping from the heavens.

"BELLAAAAA!"

"BELLAAAAAAAAA!"

* * *

(Third Person Point of View)

Edwards loud and unpredicted scream surprised everyone in the clearing including the Moriatus that halted its step and stared upon him amused but still surprised. The trees began to rustle ecstatically and hurried. As if some otherworldly force was manipulating it, the winds suddenly picked up speed and blew past Rosalie and Alice, past the Moriatus, past the broken Emmett, and even past Edward and flew into the interior of the woods and out of sight.

There was a strange and unfamiliar commotion in the forest. The winds carried Edward's voice while it was repeatedly screaming the name of the one that could save them. The winds became strange and took on a personality of their own. Into every direction they flocked like birds. The trees began to rustle their leaves even harder. One tree would do so, and then the next, and then the next, and then the next again. It was as if they were throwing things at one another, or wriggling themselves free. But no, no they were not. They carried Edward's message over the distance and into every direction. They were like beacons. If one tree knew, it would pass it on to the next, and then again, and again until they all knew what was happening, and realized whom they needed to find.

The winds took on the light and almost undetectable form of serpentine like dragons that flew through the forests searching… and seeking the scent of someone, the only one, that could still hear them. However, it was not just the trees and the winds. The water, the rain drops that fell from the sky intermingled themselves with the wind and rode them also wanting to seek out and pass on the message from Edward.

Several miles up ahead, and just barely over the Canadian border we find a small tree covered clearing. The trees there grew so tall that they over crossed their branches and leaves and hid the sky, and barely allowed any sunlight to penetrate them. There was a small cliff, perhaps only eight or nine feet tall that overlooked a small lake. It was rich with fish and other aquatic animals and covered with lily pads. The lake was emanating small yellow crystal like glitter thanks to the small bit of sunlight that did pass through the trees.

Up on the cliff, and overseeing this small but beautiful place stood the very thing that the forces of nature were now seeking. She wore low heels and black pants that were wavier on the bottom. Her shirt was a gentle purple garment that enclosed her breasts nicely and traveled down stopping just underneath her belly button. The purple shirt though grew a bit longer in the back and took on the form of a pedal belonging to a lily. She was covered with a long, sleek, and elegant black coat. It was Bella!

Yet, she was not as she usually was. Her white snow like skin grew dark beneath her eyes. The eyes that Edward felt dripped with warmth and strength were now sad, and despairing. There was no longer a red glow but simply hardness. The sides of her lips were quivering as broken breaths entered her mouth and nose. She was crying.

She held something in her hand out before her and stared at it pained and tormented. It was small and round. Perhaps the size of a ping pong ball but flat, and had spikes; one large one on each end that pointed towards the east, west, south, and the north, and two smaller ones in-between each of them. It resembled the shape of a sun and was made out of bronze metal. There was a very small hatch that revealed the inside of what appeared to be a small locket. Inside of it was a rotating and lightly violet lily made out of some form of crystal. Each of the five pedals had a yellow nod that were lighting up every time a quiet yet high pitched note was played. Yes, it played a soft and soothing lullaby. The melody sounded as if it was played by a Xylophone. It was a small musical locket.

Bella looked at it while whimpering and with a sadness, and sorrow that had existed within her ever since she was reborn to eternity. She closed her thin, and feminine white fingers around the locket gently and held it close over her cold and dead heart. A heart that would surely beat again if only the melody of the locket was complete and did not stop in the middle as if there was another piece needed to make it sound whole.

Suddenly from somewhere behind her erupted a ferocious wind. The trees began to rustle uncontrollably and the dragon like breezes had finally reached and found what they sought so badly. The winds began to play through Bella's hair and tackled her from behind. At first she paid them no mind but that state did not last, not even for three seconds. The trees… They began…whispering.

… …_. …. Milady... … _A very high pitched, quiet and female voice suddenly began to speak even though there was no one but Bella in this forest. At least no one that ordinary mortal could recognize.

Bella turned around immediately and surprised. Instead of being shaken or shocked by the invisible voices she looked directly at the tree which had spoken to her while the winds blew through its orange leaves.

_BELLAAAAA! _She recognized the voice that wind was using to speak and reexamined the interior of the winds being.

Bella now saw small sparkles in the body of the breeze and recognized the water that lay within. The wind suddenly dropped one single drop of the rain. The drop was a perfect watery sphere and headed straight towards the ground. Bella now squinted her eyes and allowed her vision to literally zoom in to further observe the sphere.

Then in the reflection of the rain drop there were images, images it had carried for all those miles. It was like watching a movie. She saw Edward's face lit up with horror, and the dry sobs that he was crying. She saw the passing image of Rosalie and Alice as they lay on the ground; broken and vulnerable. She saw Emmett holding his head and holding back moans of pain. Then a new image flew across the watery body of the drop as it was on its one second descent to the ground.

It was a face that she knew. It was a face that belonged to a creature she had been after for the better part of a millennium.

The rain drop collided with the ground and exploded into numerous crystal like sparkles of water. The message had been sent. Those that had been forgotten by men and even vampire were called on once more and aided those they gave life. It was life aiding life.

It was a gesture that was not seen. But suddenly the small locket that was nestled in Bella's hand was gone and stowed away in her pocket. She crouched and roared louder than any other simply vampire could. It was a roar that could put lions to shame. There was but a nearly unnoticeable dark flash and Bella was gone.

Life succeeded, and Edward's message was heard. It was now up to one of the most powerful vampires of all time to reach the Cullen's in order to stop the Moriatus from carrying out its unholy deed.

It was also time for Bella to finally get her revenge… after six thousand years…

* * *

**(Authors Note)** – Hey guys, thanks for your lovely reviews and hopefully you'll stop here as well and **REVIEW PLEASE.**

Also thanks for the reviews from Nazz, Eli, anonymous, and shayla whom I unfortunately can't answer back to personally. Thanks guys.

Now, here is my opinion of Rob and I would love it if you guys would write in your reviews your own opinions as well. I personally think that Rob was an excellent choice for the role of Edward. I didn't want someone that we all knew. Someone that was already so known. I didn't like any of the other possibilities they even considered like Orlando Bloom for example. Like him, but not in Twilight. I was happy with Rob and still am. However, I think that in real life he looks so filthy and homeless that it is almost sad. The boy looks like he never showers or shaves (I hate his beard). Now in twilight I think he cleans up nice. His hair is all neat and he is shaved nicely. I like the way he looks in twilight but outside of the movie…well… yeah. I also think that the directors made him to gloomy, dark, and whiney. I mean Edward does occasionally smile in the books you know.

Thank you guys and please review, I would love to see 300 reviews before the next chapter is posted.


	21. Chapter 20

(Important Authors Note) - In this chapter Bella and the Moriatus will be speaking a different language even though it will appear as plain english. I was going to translate into the language I wanted but in the end it just looked to confusing with the translated english sentences in small boxes at the end. I will be doing it for smaller conversations though. Remember, from this point forth, you, the readers, will know things that the characters like Edward and the Cullen's do not.

* * *

Titans

Go now, winds, water, trees, make your journey swift and fly on wings made of cotton and sparkle this cry of misery to every corner of Forks and the forests. Be speedy like the jaguar, and pierce and trash all obstacles to find the one soul powerful enough to stop this monstrosity. Travel over the great divide of time if you must. Bring me the one that can put an end to all this evil. Throw these emotions and tears over the sea, over the desert, and through the deepest of jungles and summon an ancient force not known to mortal and immortal alike.

There was a short pause, and a stillness that had not crossed this misty and grayish scene ever since the horror we were warned of had finally arrived. What had we done to deserve such a celestial and unjustified judgment? Was it simply because of what we were? Was it because we had always envisioned ourselves as the most incredible force, and most awesome power on this living earth that we were now faced with a fiend that would drink our fluids instead? The words in my dusty thoughts began to run dry as I must have used every word in my vocabulary in order to create a sense of organization to this apocalyptic event.

My scream that I had unleashed upon the unsuspecting clouds, vampires and Moriatus here quickly died away. There weren't enough seconds for me to continue anymore. I felt like every single living breath within me had now been completely and entirely depleted; like there was nothing left but the sorrow, despair, and the shame.

Though my sudden outburst had caused waves of serenity to grace us for but a decade of a second they did not last for as long as I had wished. The Moriatus wore a mocking and amused smile upon its dark and wet lips. It was entertained by my last resort or trump card as I'd like to call it. How could I wrong it for this? Bella a trump card? I had never even imagined doing what I had done. It seemed ridiculous now and fatally time wasting.

The apparition had evaporated the second I had unbound my voice and screeched my last hope to the heavens above. I had hoped for a rain of mercy, perhaps some sort of revelation but of course; nothing. The question was still out on why I did it? Was I dealing with myself? But if I was then how was my subconscious mind aware of things that I had never even considered before or even thought possible? Nature as a living force of communication? It was certainly clear that the plant life around us was very much alive but to use them in such a manner? Never in my darkest and most deepest thoughts would I have thought it possible for mere trees to associate with one another. I didn't think that it was me at all. I don't think it was me trying to stop me but rather something else, something I was unable to explain in this current hour. I was sure however, that I would not have an hour left to live.

The Moriatus, ever hellish and flatulent decided to take this manner on a slow pace. It had already chosen its victim and it was Rosalie. She had actually managed to get up off of the ground while I yelled. Well, she was still on the ground but not completely. Much like a dog she was now on all fours, and breathing steadily and heavily. I could hear the sensitive noises of her ice like skin pulling itself back together. She was on the mend but her healing capacities would not serve her fast enough before the gargoyle would make its move.

Emmett saw the paralyzing gaze the beast threw into Rosalie's direction and began growling and hissing uncontrollably. Unlike Rose he had been cured of his injuries and had lit a new fire of determination within his old bones. He jumped up off the ground and landed on his two feet like a giant causing a small tremor in the earth beneath us. He would do anything necessary to guard Rosalie from this demons intention. However, I doubted it would be a successful campaign even though deep down I wished it could be.

Emmett bolted and stomped forward and directly towards the gargoyle. His teeth were exposed and ready to strike like a snakes deadly sting. The attack he was attempting was too simple unfortunately. It was too straight forward and far too obvious. The Moriatus turned his head bored and unascertained by Emmett's advance. His last step was harder and sank into the muddy ground before he used his might to push himself forward, and hard. He opened his arms and revealed the full intensity and brightness of his venom coated teeth.

I grunted and unleashed a growl of my own when the Moriatus waved the back of its dark brown and oily hand forward and hit the side of Emmett's face, tossing him into the air and causing his body to do a full side way spin before colliding with the ground. Just like that, once more, Emmett had been taken down with but one simple yet devastation gesture. The side of his face cracked much like the night Bella had done the same thing to him but to a lesser extent. As an added bonus, his neck was broken.

Fast as the nearly unseen lightning itself the Moriatus surrendered his full stare back to Rosalie. Emmett was nothing but a simple obstacle and had been easily overcome. It would be Rosalie to suffer first before the rest of us… like Jasper. He was still alive. I could hear his broken and hushed thoughts. Yet, for how much longer? Would there be anything we or Carlisle could do in order to maintain his life?

"Som… Something…." Small whispers began spilling over Alice's whimpering lips. She had been hit the worst and was still recuperating, unbelievable! What would we tell her? How would we… I suddenly halted my pitiful and unnecessary thoughts when images began appearing in Alice's mind. They were visions. They were like sentences with missing words. There were holes and fluctuations again. I was surprised she was able to see anything at all. Lately her mind had been so blank that I had been wondering if she was seeing anything at all. The pictures showed nothing but the forest really. There were simply rain drops dancing and jumping from leaf to leaf. But out of nowhere and with a motion strangely familiar to that of a shooting star a dark flash like shadow moved between the trees. IT WAS FAST. Even if it was just a vision with no real vivid details I could see that it moved at least ten times as fast as I could. Could it be?

"Some..something…is..is..is…co-ming…"

Could it be? Could it truly be that for once the angels of destiny would grant us a divine pardon? Would she even be able to..? I suddenly felt my throat coming alive again and new fresh breaths anchoring themselves there. Though… I could still not move. DAMMIT! These chains, this bind was simply impossible to relinquish. This was no longer on a physical level. This held momentum of untold force. It was a pure mental prison in which I was the caged monkey.

The Moriatus took several more steps forward and suddenly arched its wings and pointed its sharp ends of the bones up front and directly at Rosalie. Rosalie was petrified. She had fallen on her behind and held her arm out before her in a pathetic and failed attempt to measure up a defense. There was nothing that could protect her from this. I tried again. I tried so hard to clench my fist and punch myself off of the ground and jump on that monsters behind and do what little I can to help her, or even, to win time until… Did I truly believe now that she would arrive? I didn't. No, I didn't. But there was something else within me that did.

Out of nowhere the Moriatus pointed its wings even more precisely and now I knew it was ready to impale Rosalie like it had done with James.

"YOU SON OF A BITCH. DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH HER. I WILL FREAKING KILL YOU IF YOU TOUCH HER. KILL YOU! GET THE HELL AWAY FROM HER!" Emmett's enraged curses did not stop the Moriatus' decision. Rosalie's bottom lip was trembling quicker than quicksand. There were small whimpers and cries of fear befalling her as well.

"ROSALIE! ROSE!"

"MOVE OUT OF THE WAY. MOVE. DON'T LET IT GET TO YOU. FIGHT ROSE!"

"ROSALIE, SWEETHEART NO! ROSE!"

Our combined pleas could not capture her attention. It was too late. The Moriatus wings flung forward and towards Rosalie. I just saw them as they impacted right in front of her and unleashed a small twister of dirt and earth to erupt and create a wall of blindness. I could not penetrate it. The tip of its wings were beyond it and without a doubt within Rosalie.

"NOOOOOOOO! ROSALIE!"

I felt a new sob of much greater power rise within me as it spilled easily over my lips.

"ROS-SALIE….RO-SE…ROSALIE!" I cried despairing. NO, no, no, no, no! WHY THE HELL US? Please God! We need you, a miracle, ANYTHING! Suddenly from beside me I saw a strange and simple white glow. I immediately fixed my attention on it hoping that she was here or something else that could save us. But no. It was this….GHOST AGAIN OR WHATEVER.. It stood straight up and looked down on me from over its shoulder. Its ways and advice had failed. _The knowledge of the Atlanteans_… what a bunch of rubbish!

_When the time…comes…use your…. eyes.. your pleas… and your face to convince her…_

With that ludicrous message teleported into my thoughts the form of the vision became a light yellow again like it was two days ago and vanished from my sight. Whatever! Go to hell where you belong.

The wall of dirt was still spinning and throwing specks of the muddy earth into my face and Emmett's. The breeze was filled with it. It blew more and more much like a cloud of dust. It was a sanctuary of sorts. It would keep our sight from seeing the loss of someone else… I shut my eyes and dropped my head to the ground, weeping.

"Rose.. Rosalie… you didn't…not like this… you never deserved… Oh Rose why no…"

"WHERE IS SHE?" My eyes snapped back open as my telepathic radar picked up Emmett's stare. The wall of dirt was pulled back down by simple gravitation revealing a new scenario before us. The diamond piercing stab of the Moriatus had indeed struck. However, it was not Rosalie. Both of its wings had crushed the earth and now stuck there like heads in the ground.

Rosalie was gone.

Where… Did she doge it? Did she finally have the courage to move?

_EDWARD WHERE THE HELL IS SHE? _Emmett's question was as mine was. Where did my sister go? Where was his wife? I could not detect her scent. There were only three minds I could now detect. Emmett's frantic and desperate pleas, Alice's chaotic visions, and Jaspers low whimper. But suddenly I made out a fourth one. Yet, there were no words but simply an image. It was an image of nothingness. Whoever it was had their eyes closed.

The wind picked up mysteriously and blew up towards the sky and away from us. It was then when I caught the whiff on an aroma so delicate, beautiful, delicious, and mind soothing that it somehow washed away all my worries. I stuck my head straight up to the sky and then was merely waiting for some sort of epic or victorious melody to play.

In the sky were two shapes of humane figures with one appearing so strong, and confident. One leg was neatly stretched out as the other nestled elegantly behind the other. There was a curtain of a black coat blowing in the winds and crushing waves of light mahogany hair sailing through the breeze. BELLA! And wouldn't you know it? She wasn't alone. There, softly cradled in her arms like a bride was Rosalie!

"HAHAHAHA," I laughed like the last moron on earth but it could not be helped. She saved her! Bella SAVED ROSALIE! But what's even more important; she came. Yes, she came for us. She heard my call. The life of the forest was somehow able to transfer my message over the vast expanse and reach her. I don't care how it was possible or even if it were. All that mattered now was that she was here, an ancient, a vampire elder.

She descended slowly and like an angel she glided from the heavens above until her feet finally touched the earth of mortal men. There was no fear in Bella's eyes. Instead I found hints of hate, determination, power, disgust, and most of all, preparedness. Rosalie had reopened her eyes and stared at Bella's face dumbfounded. Bella held her so passionately and lovingly though. There was no pressure in her fingers. As if though making sure Rosalie was in no pain whatsoever and wouldn't even feel Bella's touch.

Gracefully Bella's hands came from behind Rosalie's back and from underneath the backside of her knees and released her to the ground. Rosalie didn't move but simply stared at Bella. Her face was frozen with shock and was still deciding whether or not she was actually_ dead _or still only semi dead. Emmett's thoughts were bound also on Rosalie alone. He in turn had no words to describe his emotional stature at the moment.

Bella suddenly waved her fingers towards Rosalie while her arm lay peacefully at her side. Rosalie understood and moved away from her. She threw a somewhat more illuminated glance in-between Bella and the Moriatus who had frozen up. She hurried over across the yard and to Emmett while the gargoyle didn't buckle even one iota as she passed it. Rosalie threw her arms around Emmett who buried his face in her chest and wept dry tears of joy. Alice too seemed to be coming alive with Bella's appearance. She left the ground and returned to her feet and began throwing her head around the area.

"Jasper…?" Her voice was nothing but a whisper as the concern began to reflect in her golden planets of eyes. Bella raised her arm and stuck her finger into the direction of the forest in which Jasper lay…dying. She must have picked up his scent and the scent of nearly clean blood. I had not noticed at first but there was still some venom intermingled with the blood of the mammals he had drunken from. Alice didn't hesitate and without a second look took off and into the forest. She was fast, too fast.

There was a painful and loud scream echoing from the depth of the green wilderness. Oh my…

For the first time, now through Alice's vision I was able to get a good view of Jasper. Oh.. I sighed defeated when I saw his picture in my mind. Good lord, how is he going to regenerate from that? It didn't even look like Jasper anymore. His limbs were still attached to his body but I believe he would accept the loss of one in trade for what had been done to him. He was a mirror image of Laurent. The Moriatus had completely torn of his shirt and there were deep, bloody, and dark claw marks all over his chest. It was such a massacre and so bloody that I could not even see his white skin. There was a terrible and ever deep growing bite on his neck, chest, and stomach. It was where the Moriatus had bitten him. His face was covered in dirt, bits of venom, a deep colored tone of blood, and his own hair. He was coughing up blood. Jesus… How is he going to recover from this?

"Abraxas." Who? Bella's clear and chiming voice easily overshadowed all the pained currents of thoughts running through me. I blinked surprised and taken when I saw the deep shade of black bruises that lay beneath her flaring red eyes. Still dark, but it looked as if they were on fire. Out of all the emotions I had seen previously I could now say with absolute certainty that the most prominent one was hate in her eyes.

Bella took a poised and adamant step forward. As she did I noticed the Moriatus take a step back. She took another step, and the gargoyle backed up again. It was mirroring her movement but it was moving away from her as if it was…frightened. Bella turned her body and began a circle around the clearing with the beast once more copying her every move. It was like they were circling each other. Finally the monsters face came back into my clear vision and I wanted to laugh. Its stare was wide with its shaking white eyes lit up and glistening with undeniable cartridges of… alarm. I snorted quietly to myself.

Who is hunting whom?

They had taken a half circle around the clearing until Bella stood in front of Emmett and Rosalie, protectively. The Moriatus halted as well not daring to take an unpredicted and hasty step more than her. In Bella's glare I could see the hatred again, and the maliciousness, despise, and anger. A stare like that could turn mortal men to stone I thought sheepishly.

"How long has it been?" That language again. I had heard it for the first time when I saw the strange vision of Bella as a human, and then again when I was in that city being destroyed by the flaring face of flame. It sounded much like Latin but then not. Perhaps some sort of predecessor?

"Five? Six thousand years?" I had no clue to whatever it was she was saying. Emmett and Rosalie felt the same way I did. Neither of them could identify this ancient sounding language either.

"It has been difficult following your movements. Then again, anything that possesses no natural body scent is quite problematic to track and acquisition."

I sighed frustrated. I wish there was some way for me to understand her words that seemed like complete gibberish to me. The tongue itself was sensationally beautiful. It was the reason why I had at first thought it might be some form of Latin. Bella raised her eyebrows expectantly. A small snicker nestled on the corner of her dark red lips.

"Have you nothing to say? Or… is it that you are frightened of me Abraxas?"

Whatever she had said seemed to have negative consequence on the Moriatus. It growled viciously through its bony teeth and made that rattling sound once it inhaled. Suddenly it opened its mouth and began moving its trembling black lips.

"Do not flatter yourself dead thing." I gasped. A notion that Emmett and Rose mimicked. It spoke. That beast actually spoke. It used the same language as Bella. I didn't think it could speak so this was by far very surprising. Bella began to laugh quietly and controlled.

"Abraxas, Abraxas, Abraxas. Whatever do you mean? You cannot be mad for my interfering with your hunting now could you?" Bella now wore a mask of innocence.

"Dead thing! You give much too much credit to yourself." Bella blinked surprised yet amused.

"Truly? This is strange. As I recall I have broken your hunting instinct on three separate occasions at which time you fled when you caught the aroma of my own scent."

"You're arrogance blinds you dead thing." The Moriatus' growls grew stronger, and louder.

"Well, let us examine this shall we? The first time I was able to track your movement on the ground was when I found these vampires in a clearing not unlike this but more monumental in size. I knew you were there. If they had not inhabited the area at the time I would have gotten to you then. Unfortunately I was unable to reach you. I was more concerned with the safety of my kin rather than you." The Moriatus suddenly snapped a hiss at Bella.

"The second time was in that small township when you planned on making him your evening meal," she interrupted herself to point her finger directly at me. "Once more I could have driven my eternal bones through yours but I chose to protect him instead. Ha ha. I just continuously seem to be ruining your dinners am I not?" I heard the cracking of the gargoyles knuckles. Why did she point at me? Were they discussing me?

"The third time would be a repeat of the previous incident but instead we were surrounded by a forest." Bella crossed her arms and smiled brilliantly at the monster. Another menacing growl escaped the Moriatus' mouth. Whatever they were talking about seemed to be irritating it.

"It is truly painful is it not Abraxas? The older we become the more delicious we taste to you. But does it not pain you to know that you will never taste the oldest of venom and see the oldest of things? Is that not the reason why you have been changing direction every time you encountered my scent? It truly is difficult for you is it not? You will never taste venom such as mine hence we are now in a stage at which we are superior to you in every way imaginable." The monster ripped open its mouth and unleashed a sickening and high pitched scream aligned with fragments of that deadly screech.

"You waste your breath. We have become immune to your life draining screech millennia ago!" I don't know what she said but the Moriatus stopped its scream. Thankfully it wasn't that long. Even though it was so weak I could still feel trembling vibrations all over my being and the feeling of losing my energy. I wished Bella's mind wasn't closed. If there was only some way to understand them while I rested here on the ground.

"What is it you want dead thing?" The gargoyle spit while it spoke; disgusting.

I changed my glance to Bella. I noticed that the piercing glow in her eyes returned. I had seen it the night she had taken down my adoptive siblings. I saw how the side of her mouth quivered while her delicate lips turned into a vision of hatred and repulsion. The deep and dark shadows beneath her eyes seemed to darken as well. Whatever they were discussing must have been something of ancient turmoil. I could feel the tension in the air. It was almost pure static. If anyone would walk a line between these two beings they could get electrocuted.

"You cannot recall the events that transpired nearly six thousand years ago?" Bella's voice was suddenly low, and sounded threatening. I looked back to the Moriatus who cocked its head to the side and widened its two big white eyes. It continued making those petrifying rattling noises in the back of its throat. I wondered what the question was.

"Allow me to penetrate the nothingness that resides in your foul mind Abraxas." The gargoyle's eyes drew to slits as it glared with more force than before. It seemed as if it tried to crush Bella with its mere thoughts. The stare truly was intense.

"Nearly six hundred life ages of men ago you committed an atrocity that has since put you on a list of designations that would make you pray you were never conceived."

"There were many atrocities and foul plays I have achieved against your kind. Do tell me the specifications would you dead thing?" From the tone the Moriatus used I could tell that it was mocking Bella.

"Unfortunately for you my bumbling baboon the crime you have committed was a direct act against…. …. The COURTSHIP OF THE VAMPIRE LORDS!"

I was completely blind to what had been said but whatever it was it caused a new stir in the atmosphere. The clouds above even looked grayer and gloomier than before. Bella must have said something of great importance or rather a threat towards the beast for now it stood still as a rock. It didn't move one single inch. It's wet and rock like chest did not move anymore. The glisters in its bright off eyes had disappeared as well. It was as if though all the life was leaving its body now instead of ours when it screeched.

There was a small breeze flowing through the clearing that whirled the trees and caused their leaves to dance and rustle with what almost sounded like laughter. The wind blew gently through Bella's hair revealing the glimmer of her shiny caramel hair. The glow in her eyes had gone from radiating to sparkling. She was staring the monster down and didn't dare to even take her eyes off of it. The wind blew through her lean black coat with the V cut in the back making her look somehow… not from this world like.

The Moriatus suddenly took a unsuspecting step back while blinking its eyes repeatedly and shaking its head. It turned to its side revealing the stickiness of its oily black hair, and the horrific texture of its pointed ears. It turned again to face Bella with a smile plastered on its dark brown face. A small and wheezy chuckle began to sound from its venom filled throat?

"Courtship… Ha. An ancient legend. But the whispers of demented dead things that were doomed to be devoured by us and nothing more."

"Is that what you believe?" The Moriatus nodded towards Bella's sentiment.

"Tell me then. What is it you smell on me? After all, you pick your prey according to age and liking of the scent. The more ancient your victim the more delicious the elixir of immortality is. I must undeniably reek of the old world if you have continuously turned your back on me for all this time. That is your greatest pain Moriatus. The older your victim the more delicious the taste, however, an older victim also means a greater battle and an immeasurable raise in difficulty in slaying such victim. So, tell me, what does my scent do for you?"

Several times during Bella's rant the Moriatus' lips would pull up on their corners aggravated. I wish I knew… Suddenly the Moriatus closed its eyes and pointed its nose up in the air. It took a long and deep breath through its mouth as if it tasted the air or better yet, Bella. It had done the same thing to us. While it took these deep breaths in began to speak again.

"Blood… Greece… Kemet… Midgard…. Jungles… Oceans… New world… and… scents that are unknown to me." While it spoke I could see small fountains of drool beginning to spill over its mouth. It seemed to be enjoying the smell it had caught in the air.

"I am surprised to discover that you have not yet questioned to how I was able to require the identity of your name. Moriatus have always been incredibly slow paced but this; this amazingly tops your usual ignorance." Another vicious hiss escaped the gargoyle's tongue.

"Enough with your inquires dead thing. Tell me, why is it that you have hunted me? Why have you been my shadowy consort? What beautiful thing have I committed against you or your fabled court?" Bella's eyes grew dark again, very dark. She uncrossed her arms from her body and I could literally feel that a fight was not very far away.

"It was you that slew the Cheydo tribe of shape shifters over six thousand years ago. Without honor nor any sense of true dignity you slithered upon them using the night as your shield and wiped out their entire village as they dreamt." Bella nearly screamed and spat her words at the beast. There must have been something that ignited rage within her concerning this Moriatus. The beast countered with a mere shrug of its shoulders.

"What of it? They were the enemies of our lycan friends."

"So you saw it fight to destroy them in such a pathetic and cowardly manner?"

The Moriatus suddenly smiled using its stretchy black lips. Unlike the teeth of vampires that pearled with whiteness it's only oozed with a foul play of terror. I heard Bella release a small cough of surprise as she shook her head disgusted. But she didn't let whatever was said get to her, oh no, she moved her index finger to the sky and began shaking it while smiling. She looked to the ground as her chest vibrated with silent chuckles.

"Speaking of cowards. Tell me, Abraxas, have you ever uncovered the truth to how your brother Abrothiux met his end? I am sure your parent Abruxar told you of your brother's misfortune over three thousand years before your birth?" The Moriatus' smile disappeared and drew its eyes into slits while glaring at Bella again. I wish I knew what was being said.

"It was said that he died an honorable death taking many of you dead things with him…" Suddenly Bella unleashed the chuckles in her chest as full born laughter. She stretched out her hands to either of her sides and screamed towards the sky in merriment.

"What a horrendous lie indeed. It appears your filthy parent was unable to share the truth of the experience the Moriatus had to face all those millennia ago. It was only your brother that died that day. Shall I illuminate your depth?"

"You knew him dead thing?" It seemed the Moriatus was more interested in the confrontation now. Bella's laugh died away and only left behind a dark crooked grin in its footprints.

"The one you call brother was foolish enough to inspire a siege against Elysium little over ten thousand years ago. It was rather pitiful indeed. You see he attempted to do so with a small legion of werewolves that betrayed him in the end. They fled before they even struck their attack knowing that there was no chance Elysium would fall. These are the creatures you call allies." The Moriatus widened and narrowed its eyes weakly at the same time.

"Go on."

"Abrothiux was caught easily. He attempted a siege by himself and was captured by many vampire guards that were watching the boarders of the metropolis. It was him against a vampire army. I was there as well," Bella smiled her dazzling smile again and coughed one small silky laugh before going on. "Let us move ahead to the part that is important shall we? I doubt you would like to hear of his pleas and how he beseeched me for his life. Allow me to introduce you to the truth of how I was the one that ripped your brother's stone heart from within his chest with my diamond fist and made him bow to me."

I covered my ears immediately when the Moriatus crouched to the ground and released a deafening roar throwing spit and drool from in-between its teeth and the tip of its tongue. It was on!

I had no way of knowing what they talked about but whatever it was it caused the Moriatus to flare with anger now. It crouched close to the ground and had its two bone spears at the tip of its wings ready to strike at Bella.

"You would dare challenge me? It would be more prudent and less painful if you simply allowed me to dismember you." The Moriatus growled and screeched once more.

"YOU ARE ALL ALIKE YOU DEAD THINGS. YOU ARE NOTHING BUT OUR FOOD. ONLY ONE IMMORTAL WILL DIE HERE TONIGHT."

Bella turned her body to the side and stretched out one of her legs and descended into a crouch as well with her fingers trembling and thirsting. Another beautiful yet dark and low smile drew across her spectacular snow white marble face.

"You are mistaken on two things Abraxas. One, not all vampires are the same my dear. There are great deals of classifications concerning our kind. However, what is important is that you are now faced neither with an ancient nor an ancient vampire elder. It is your great luck to be slain today by one the vampire lords!

Second, you are immortal yet I, I am ETERNAL!"

Bella ripped open her mouth and unleashed the greatest and loudest growl I had ever heard from any vampire alive that I knew. And then, it was time, Bella flew forward with blinding speed heading directly for the Moriatus.

The Moriatus didn't even have time to react. Before I knew it I saw the gargoyle and Bella intertwining their fingers and locking each other into place. Both of them bend their knees in their still positions trying to push the other. The wings of the Moriatus I saw tried to claw and tear at Bella but she continued to move her form and easily dodged their tries. I saw as Bella's fingers began to press down even harder on the Moriatus' and began to dig into its skin. The Moriatus began to scream in agony as Bella won the still standing attack and started to push it back. It tried to keep its ground but it was futile. As Bella pushed it back the dirt surrounding the beasts feet traveled with it while it was being forced back.

Bella suddenly picked the gargoyle up from off the ground and started to spin it around in circles. She did about three spins counter clockwise before hurling it towards the sky. The gargoyle fell upwards as its scream grew quieter the higher it went. It was amazing how easily Bella managed to handle the monster. She bent her knees and released herself like a rocket so that I saw nothing but a black flash heading towards the sky and plum through the clouds.

"Damn." I took the opportunity while these two titans left to check my own status. I had been completely healed and also felt the feeling in my body returning. I lifted both my arms and was happy knowing that I was in control again. I jumped off of the ground and ran over to Rosalie and Emmett who had been watching in amazement as well. Rosalie cradled Emmett's face to her chest as both watched the sky alarmed and fretful.

"Rosalie, Emmett are you both okay." To a human my sentence might have been nothing but one word. I placed either of my hands on their shoulders. Rosalie took notice and nodded vigorously. Emmett had regenerated as well. That was good. I helped both of them off the ground as all three of us watched the sky in horror.

We could hear several explosions what must have been both of these powerful forces clashing into each other. But how did Bella stay airborne? We could see a dark shadowy meteor and another that was brown flying towards each other and colliding with one another. This was truly a sight to be witnessed. It was as if two gods were battling it out.

"C'mon guys go. Go to Alice and Jasper take care of both of them especially Jasper. We have to get him back home and get Carlisle. Go and wait for me there."

"What about you Edward?" Rosalie for the first time in a long time actually expressed her worry for me.

"I'm staying. I will do what little I can should she get into trouble. She saved all of our lives by arriving when she did. It is now our turn to help her and I'll be the one to do it. I'm the one that got us into this disaster so I'll also be the one to get us out of it."

Rosalie and Emmett both exchanged distressed looks between another. Their minds however finally agreed. Jasper was currently more important. I only hope that he'll make it through this somehow. Hopefully he'll be able to heal as he had done on so many other occasions. But that was only a fading day dream. I could see through Alice's eyes that he was still alive but there were no signs of regeneration and she was frantic.

"Take care bro," Emmett whispered as he passed me. Rosalie patted my shoulder before also disappearing with Emmett into the trees. I breathed a sigh of relief when they left and I knew they would be safe now. But Jasper… How in the world was he supposed to… DAMN IT ALL TO HELL. For Alice's sake and our all I hoped that he would make it to see another day with Alice by his side.

I focused all my attention back towards the sky. Now, instead of colliding with each other I saw the larger dark brown comet attempting to go off into the distance and what appeared to be fleeing. However, the smaller black shadow moved quickly across the sky and caught up with the brown one easily and smashed into it knocking it out of balance. It was Bella! How was she doing what she did? How was she able to stay in the air like that? Better yet, how was she able to make me feel embarrassed for having been such easy prey for the gargoyle? Once more I saw the brown comet shooting high up in the air and the black shadowy comet closing the distance again and knocking it back towards the ground. Since the Moriatus was able to fly I thought that perhaps it wasn't very wise of Bella to throw it up in the air but it seemed as if she had the advantage up there.

I think the Moriatus had enough now. It seemed to have given up on attempting to fly away and now headed straight for Bella as she herself in the form of a black shooting star did the same. There was a loud bang as they both touched once more and began to descend rather quickly back to the ground. They were circling around each other still in the form of blurry meteors. They came close and closer to the ground. I turned tail and made a run for the trees not wanting to get caught in this crossfire. They impacted.

There was a glass shattering implosion behind me as I felt the strong air currents produced by it catching up with me and sweeping me off my feet. I landed on my stomach and covered my head as dirt, rocks, and branches came crashing down on me. Though it was still raining parts of the earth I turned over on my back to watch the scene. There was a large crater in the ground at least two feet deep where they had landed. The Moriatus had stretched its fingers and had its nails including those of its wings pointed directly at Bella. It was using them like knives, spears or swords and was slashing them forward and at Bella. Bella however was very fast and had great reflexes. Not one of the Moriatus' attacks hit its target.

Suddenly Bella arched her body and performed a back flip somersault and kicked the Moriatus with her foot underneath its chin. The Moriatus did a back flip as well but not by choice as it landed screeching in pain barely on its legs. Bella on the other hand landed gracefully with a victorious smile on her countenance. She now lifted both of her hands up in the air with a big space between one another. Then, out of nowhere a small sphere of fire emerged out of the nothingness that looked like a miniature sun. It didn't stay small for long. It grew quickly until it engulfed a larger portion of the space between the palms of her hands until it looked like she was holding it in mid air. She threw her hands forward and relinquished control of the flaring fire ball that headed straight for the gargoyle. It in turn had no chance to counter and was hit right on in the face. It twitched and fell to the ground.

I saw Bella smiling brilliantly and exposing her ghost white teeth. I also heard very quiet but prompt laughs coming from her throat. Though it was an attack to be reckoned with the Moriatus jumped back off the ground revealing the injuries Bella's flaming attack had caused. Oh my… Now its entire face and portions of its upper body were charcoal black with small chunks of its body falling off. It had been crisped. The pieces falling off weren't large or monumental but still big enough to cause it to wince in pain. The largest portion that had fallen off was its right cheek and part of its eye that had been melted. What a powerful ability it was. It seemed as if though Bella was capable of creating fire. I had my suspicion first when she had put Laurent's mangled body ablaze but now it was undeniable. It was like Pyrokinesis. She was a vampire to be reckoned with and that deserved respect.

The gargoyle didn't want to give up. It arched its wing and flung its sharp end at Bella. In a notion that I couldn't even see and comprehend she secured a good grip around the bone like tooth of the wing and without wasting time pulled and angled the Moriatus forward. She spun like a ballerina as the monster wanted to use her strength for its own advantage and shot its fists out like bullets. Not one of its attacks even touched a strain of hair on Bella's head. She had spun around the wing and now stood behind the beast. She still held the tip of its wing as she lifted her leg and secured her heel covered food on its back and began to push back, tearing its wing.

I muffled in pain as the Moriatus unleashed its painful screech when Bella tore of one of its wings disabling its capability to fly. It reached for its back while stumbling around on the ground. Large amounts of black fluid squirted from its back that was mixed with silvery shimmers of venom. Bella tossed the wing over her shoulder and nearly hit Victoria with it. Victoria I noticed was now paying attention to the fight as well. Like me her facial features were that of shock, surprise, fear, and disbelief. It was a battle between titans with one being clearly superior.

The Moriatus turned back around to face Bella screaming and howling while doing so. It clenched its fist tightly and slammed them into the ground causing a loud tremor to flow through the earth. It was mad, incredibly mad without doubt. It put its legs together and catapulted itself forward and drove like a locomotive for Bella. It spread out its arm with its claws ready.

Somehow, and to my disbelief it secured two good grips around Bella's arms. It happened fast and unpredicted. Yet, even though it seemed to have been victorious for this second I believed that Bella allowed it to happen especially since she now wore her brilliant smile again. The Moriatus for but a few seconds began to laugh and flash its teeth at Bella but its smile faded as Bella revealed hers. Bella's hands attached themselves to the underside of the fiend's arms and dug into its rock like skin. The Moriatus clasped its teeth together and stopped its own howl of pain.

Suddenly Bella began to walk up on the Moriatus itself. She stepped on its leg and then on its stomach, again, and now stood right on top of its chest. Her smile transformed into a crooked grin.

"No letting go now..." And with her foreign language spoken Bella jumped back forcefully and by doing so tore of both arms belonging to the gargoyle. Of course, without a doubt, it now made sense why she had done it on purpose. She let the Moriatus get as far as it did so she could do exactly this. It was amazing to see how she planned ahead and was so intelligent and tactical. I admired her.

When the arms of the Moriatus were amputated it was like seeing rock being shattered. There were bits of its skin traveling and flying off and what looked like dust emerging from its torso where the arms had been. It buckled and fell to its knees as it screeches roared to high heavens. The pain it must feel now must be one that cannot be imagined. Perhaps it can only be topped by the transformation process into a vampire.

I lifted myself up off the ground and stood while smiling at the strong and powerful ancient vampire responsible for all this. She removed the unmoving hands of the Moriatus from her arms and tossed them in the air and behind her like pieces of garbage. There were shivers all over the body of the ancient beast. All it had left was its main body, legs, and one wing. Other than that Bella had already shredded it. How strong she was…

"It…it… appears as if though you are one of the forgotten…dead things that our…legends speak and warn of…" It began to speak again. Was it pleading perhaps? It didn't sound like it. It lifted its head weakened and breathed heavy and slow breaths.

"However… if that is the case… and you are truly one of the vampire…lords…then you have one weakness…"

Bella didn't say anything but simply glared at the Moriatus. Even though it had nothing to smile about and was surely marked for doom a small grin played its way to the gargoyle's lips.

"Your weakness…lies… in caring…for others of your kind… it is your…compassion for fellow….dead things." It barely was able to sound out its broken words.

Surprisingly now the Moriatus lifted up its left over wing and put its claw back to spear point. Another attack? Oh please, you don't stand a chance. Swiftly it turned its wing until it was not pointed at Bella but at me instead. My breaths came to a screeching halt when I saw the claw fly forward with its target being me.

I shut my eyes tight when I felt something impact my stomach and shove me back. My feet were being dragged across the mushy earthy ground but I was able to keep myself up. How could I have been so stupid? Why did I stay? I should have gone with Rosalie and Emmett and should have let Bella handle herself. I waited for the pain, and the agony. I waited for seeing the light pass before my eyes until Hades himself would reel me in. Strangely though, the pain never came. It didn't come nor subsided. There was no crushing pain in my stomach. There was no feeling of something alien being inside of me but instead I could smell a strong fragrance of freesias, jasmine, and brimstone right beneath the tip of my nose.

There was something aligned to the front of my body. With my eyes still closed I let my fingers pilgrimage to my stomach but didn't find it. Instead of myself I found something else. My fingers touched hips and the sides of another cold body. Encouraged by this I opened my eyes and saw that Bella's head was underneath my chin with her backside completely connected with my front half. Her arms were spread out on each side. Had she? No… NO. I saw the spine of the Moriatus' wing holding a steady stretch towards us and then disappearing with its tip somewhere into Bella. Why would she…? She saved me!

Her scent was so strong now, and so close that it was tantalizing and hypnotizing me. I could feel the venom collecting itself in my mouth. She smelled so good and so delicious. Not like a human but rather something else, something better. Would I be the one to end this scent?

"Ha, ha.. ha…" Laughter originated from the Moriatus as it saw one of its attacks finally succeeding. It pulled the wing back slowly dragging Bella along with it. Oh on… HOW COULD I HAVE BEEN SO STUPID? I put myself right into harm's way causing Bella to sacrifice… But why would she? Why did it matter? I wanted to stay to see if I could be a little help to her but I turned out to be a dire failure. I was like poison. These past days it seemed that everything I touched or even associated with got hurt or worse; turned to ash.

Hesitantly I lifted my arms wanting to reach her. My eyes were going numb and began to burn. If I were human I would be crying. All she wanted to do was defend us, and was even able to safe us and now look at WHAT I'VE DONE. How many vampires could say that they were responsible for the death of an ancient, one of our elders more or likely? She was so close… Only one more strike was missing and she could have incinerated that thing. Why oh why did fate hate me so… Once again, just because of me...

_Don't be…ridiculous…_

What? I heard my own voice with its once human properties ringing through my head. Did I miss something? The Moriatus continued with a ruckus of laughter over its apparent win. But suddenly, besides the crackling and dusty voice of the Moriatus there was another chiming bell like voice that was laughing as well. It was slower and more controlled but present indeed.

I saw the Moriatus' smile die away as its eyes resumed their vision on Bella. I couldn't see her face but instead only her mouth as the rest was covered up with curtains of her beautiful dark brown layered hair.

"Ha… ha…," I heard spilling over her delicate lips. She was laughing? Did this mean…? Before I could conclude my thought Bella pulled her upper body back up to reveal her full stature again. Her back was turned to me and not even through the Moriatus' eyes I could see her now. It must have some sort of protection from my telepathic ability as well. It was the first time during all of this that I was actually noticing its mental muteness.

It tried to arch its wing forward along with Bella but was unable. Bella had retaken her position and had her feet securely rooted on the ground. She seemed to be okay. I sighed relieved with this new revelation. The gargoyle tried again, and again, and again once more. With whatever strength it had left flowing through its veins it tried to get Bella over to where it stood but not a chance; Bella wouldn't budge.

Now it was Bella's move again. She reached for the wing and slowly and painfully wrapped her fingers around the tip of the wing. She secured her thumb underneath and then allowed each one of her fingers, respectively, to wrap around the bone like form of the tip. I began to hear small cracking noises as Bella undoubtedly was retrieving the tip of its spear out of her body. Did she even feel it? Was she only acting and toying with the mind of the Moriatus?

There was a final sound of an unplug and I could see the tip of the wing wrapped in Bella's hand. There were bits of her venom that covered the point. But only venom, no blood whatsoever which probably meant she hadn't fed in a while. She was underfed yet was still able to show of her awesome power? Amazing..

Suddenly Bella pulled down, hard, and forced the Moriatus to fly right towards her. She moved her hand up in the air with her fingers spread out before clenching them into a tight iron fist. The armless body of the gargoyle came rushing towards her as she swiftly and almost invisibly punched her fist forward.

Yet again, there was an explosive like sound as the stone body of the beast cracked and black like blood began pouring out of its chest where Bella's fist was now nestled. It arched its head up to the sky and released quiet growls with that rattling noise. It coughed and black blood jumped over its tongue barely missing Bella. It timidly looked down to see Bella's fist impaling the spot where any other person's heart would be. It shockingly moved its head up while shaking. Its breaths were shallower, heavier, and sounded heaved. Bella began to whisper in that foreign language again.

"The ways of your species will never return. You have lost."

"There are… still… others… in the…mountains…."

"Hmph. WE know."

The Moriatus roared to high heavens. It surprised me and nearly caused me to fall down. It began to jerk violently around in its spot. Bella's fist held a steady stance in its chest. I saw the whites of its eyes plus the melted part become orange, and then almost red. Even from the back of its opened mouth there was the tenor of redness. I GOT IT! Bella… she was… she was burning it from the inside.

Suddenly fire came bursting out form its eyes that made me think of a dragon with smoke blowing out its nostrils. There was a flame shooting out of its mouth as well and from the exposed side of its shoulders where its arms once rested. Its body suddenly began to crack with flaring red zigzags making their way all over its physique. Bella had lit a volcano inside of it. This was the end.

It sounded like when someone puts a couple of bags of TNT inside of a mountain and flicks the switch when the boulder like body of the Moriatus combusted. Its head spun off and up in the air with flames shooting out of it. Then, its chest imploded and fell into bits of charcoal like pieces to the ground. Its black oily like hair burned up immediately while the soft and vein covered insides of its left over wing fried up like a kite hit by lightning. The lower part of its body combusted as well leaving chunks of what looked like burned rock everywhere.

Now there was nothing left. The very monster that had slain Laurent and James was dead. The monster that brutally massacred Jasper was gone with the winds. He in turn was still alive but for how long? Bella's hand was still stretched out in front of her as the last bits of rock hit the ground. I noticed that there was something in her hand. It was black and looked deformed.

She turned her hand around and opened it to revealed what was concealed within the grasp of her fingers. It was black with light reddish veins pulsating across its form. It was a heart; its heart.

There was no beat. It was dead like the icy and dead heart of a vampire. Bella pulled her fingers back into a fist and smashed the heart of the Moriatus as if it were butter. Her back was still turned to me. I wish I could see her frontal features right about now.

Bella stepped on several parts of the Moriatus like its hollow face, and foot on her way to the center of the clearing. I wondered what she would do now. She was full of surprises and it didn't amaze me at all that Alice had trouble seeing her future. But now with the Moriatus gone she might have a better read on her should she try to glimpse into Bella's future again.

The ancient lifted her hand up lazily and brought her thumb and middle finger together touching each others marble surfaces. She snipped them. I had a reflex to duck when I remembered the last time she did that and the remains of Laurent caught fire but instead…something else happened.

Suddenly the two arms of the Moriatus began to levitate without anything or anybody touching them. Not just them however, several pieces of the beast that were left began to slowly float into the air. Every little piece though, every crack, ever large rock, pebble, and bone began to fly towards Bella and started to build themselves up into a pile right in front of her. I could see the left over black blood of the beast started to flow and begin to rise into the air and travel in rivers of blackness towards her. The wing that lay next to Victoria acted on its own as well and glided over towards her and into the pile. That was it. Everything that was once part of the Moriatus was now there right in front of her. She unhinged her fingers and gently waved her hand over the pile as it finally caught fire.

Pyrokinesis, Telekinesis, mental ability to block my talent, advanced speed, strength, stamina, beauty…. Were these ancients even vampires? God almighty… How powerful they were. If I were to go up against Bella it would be like comparing an ant to a dinosaur. This however also explained how she was able to paralyze me that night in Port Angeles. She had used her telekinetic abilities to freeze me. It made sense now.

Still, there were many question shrouded in a darkness where no light or reason could reach; a depth that could only be illuminated with the knowledge that she alone possessed. I had to get the answers that I sought and she was the one and only person capable of giving them to me. Would she leave with the death of the very thing she had hunted? Would she stay…somehow?

Jasper! I had to get him. I need to help him. I pray that there is someway for him to return to us. The vision I now saw through the eyes of the others however did not look promising.

Bella suddenly turned her head over her shoulder like she had done on so many different occasions already and gave me a gentle and collected look.

"You called?"

* * *

(Authors Note) – Well there goes a 10,000 word chapter. I was a little inspired after seeing Eclipse on opening day :-)! Remember now guys, you know things that Edward and the Cullen's don't. So don't wonder why Edward is asking certain questions if he should already know the answers.

Eclipse – It is definitely the best one so far guys. They managed to pretty much include everything. Of course I had some issues. They made Rosalie look like a Barbie doll (literally). The eyes were better, a little. Towards the end they changed it to Bella actually cutting herself with the rock and distracting Riley and Victoria both. It was okay actually and fit the movie. Of course there were also scenes in which I wanted to jump into the screen and bitch slap Kristen.

Thanks for all your wonderful reviews. Thank you also to Eli, Amenoria, Shadow, and Shayla. The people I couldn't thank privately.

Hope you guys enjoyed and** PLEASE REVIEW. **


	22. Chapter 21

Love

I still could not believe the mind blowing and faith shattering event that I had just witnessed before my very own vampire eyes. I felt the warmth and intensity of the blazing flames that were quenching and annihilating the last bits of the monstrosity that had haunted our wet jungle. I watched as the fires slowly diminished the arms and parts of its once rocky like face. How easily the beast had overcome us and played with us; treating us like dolls. Yet, how easily in turn it had been vanquished by but one of our kind and put to its eternal rest.

There was a mystical sort of breeze blowing through my hair as I stood here solidified. So many emotions were running through me like rivers and carrying my heart in so many different directions. My eyes were shaking and reflecting the fires of the ancient world that burned before me. However now it was her that I gazed upon.

The dark red eyes that I had already come accustomed to watched me closely as they glimmered with a strange radiant glow of crimson in their shimmering irises. I wondered what these eyes had seen. How many vampires' hat they met, humans, werewolves, Moriatus? Have they traveled for centuries, millennia or even longer? Bella's soft and wavy light mahogany colored hair gently lay over her forehead and fell down straight to her neck line before curling. The burning shine of the ruby blazes of flame brought out the sparkles in her hair and an almost light blue and silver hue in her skin.

She was like the moon. She was dark, mysterious, beautiful, ancient, and ever watchful over the night. The pearly pendant of the night sky she might have been indeed, yet I discovered another similarity between the two. Both she and the night light were mostly shrouded in darkness.

Bella completely turned her body to accommodate her already glaring stare so she could face me head on. She had not changed in the past few days in which she was absent, and neither did her unique style of fashion. I was surprised to find that she had even heard my call, and actually decided upon returning. Did she only come back for the Moriatus or was there more hidden in the shadows? Something, perhaps these foreign emotions that were swarming within me, they told me that there was another motive in the air.

My thoughts though suddenly shifted their intentions completely. The weeping and irregular breaths that were coming from Alice off in the forest demanded all my attention. I wanted to get there and see with my very own eyes the damage that had been inflicted by the Moriatus' claws. I wondered again if there was any hope whatsoever that would allow a recovery for Jasper. Was there anything? Through the eyes of Alice, Emmett, and Rosalie it seemed as if though he had still not begun to heal.

Somewhat nervous and intimidated by Bella's icy glare I began to circle and move around her very slowly. Instead of the purple like bruises that grow beneath our eyes once we grow thirsty hers were rather black. They almost looked like dark ash. They were feint, and weak, but still prominent enough for me to notice. I wonder why such a "death glare" now inhabited her face. Was there something unknowingly done?

While I moved around her I did not dare to break the electric flow of air between the two of us and cut our eye contact. I'm sure if she wanted to she could stand behind me within a fraction of a second without me even seeing it. I was half way there to the point where I could race forward. I noticed that while I circled her she somewhat orbited me as well. She curved herself so she could always have a direct face to face.

I broke the eye contact, difficultly. I had reached the point of where I was the one standing closest to the forest. I whipped around rather quickly and was now heading for the trees to go and see what I could do for the fading thoughts of my brother. My mind became a whirl storm of thoughts flying into all the corners of my head trying to find some sort of remedy that could be helpful to Jasper. I wish Carlisle were here.

"Edward…" My bones froze. The thoughts concerning Jasper vanished as my mind became anxious. What was it that she wanted now? Her voice was low and non-aggressive however. Nervously I looked over my shoulder mimicking the action I had seen her perform a plethora of times. Even though the tone in her voice promised serenity, her eyes told another tale. They were burning again, and seemed in rage. The rest of her facial features showed no sign of trouble. But her eyes… There was something about them that caused a chill to run down my spine but at the same time they burrowed into my soul releasing a soothing blow of peace.

"WE need to talk; soon!" My breath caught in my throat by the seriousness of her words. Her eyes bore into me as if they were searching. Searching for what? She already knew everything there was to know about me wasn't there? Venenum memoria gave her all that she wanted from me.

I didn't know how to respond to this but luckily I didn't have to. She turned around with her back towards me and crossed her arms watching the flickering fire she started. What would she want to discuss with me? Somehow I felt nearly threatened by her sentiment but on the other hand I felt a candle of hope emerge within me. This could mean that we would see each other again. These emotions were so confusing. I have never felt anything like them before. Her entire presence somehow invoked a brand new sun rise within my soul, and set everything aglow.

I shook my head squeezing my eyes together. JASPER!

I took off into the forest and stole one last glimpse at the vampire I was leaving behind. More or likely she will not be there once I'd return. There were still so many unanswered questions. Perhaps if she wishes to speak with me in the future I could use that opportunity to bargain with her. Apparently there was something she wanted from me?

I did not have to travel far at all. I passed by the trees that had been hurt during Jasper's hurl towards them. There were quite a few broken branches knocked down with the force of his blow. I made a quick and easy jump over a small hill and landed at the scene.

My mouth dropped. I was speechless. Now, seeing this up close and with my own eyes I realized that his injuries were even worse than I had thought. Alice sat on the floor weeping loudly, and uncontrolled. Her entire being was shaking with untamable dry sobs. Rosalie was on the ground next to Alice with her red bottom lip whimpering. I saw her eyes move and glide over Jaspers form. She too had no words, especially not for Alice. Emmett was on the opposite side of them kneeing on the ground with his eyes hidden beneath his hand.

Jasper was completely covered in blood. His entire upper body was exposed with fluids running all over him. One could see where the sharp claws of the Moriatus had dug into him and then dragged down along his chest and stomach. The lenghty and fine marks were spinning into all directions. There were some that looked as if the beast had simply impaled him and then took junks of him out by simply retreating its rock hard fingers. There was a very thin layer of venom wrapping itself around the blood he had just hunted for. The demon hadn't completed its job. If it had then Jasper would have been dead immediately like James.

Alice held his head in her arms while jerking her's towards the cloudy sky and screamed. She curled her fingers that were now blood covered around his cheeks. A few times she had already shaken him like she wanted to will his recovery. Jasper was still alive, for the moment anyway. I saw his lips moving and drawing in air. His breathing was too heavy, slow, and wheezy. I was glad though that all of his body parts were still where they are suppose to be. But as I had thought prior to seeing this; I'm sure he would have gladly sacrificed a hand in order to refrain from this!

His torso was completely slashed. There were wounds that seemed to reach deeper than our eyes could see. His face too was covered in blood and venom he had coughed up. Still, there were marks on his face as well. They reached all the way across his face mutilating his nose, eyes, and left ear. You could not even tell that it was Jasper anymore.

I covered my mouth with my hand appalled and shocked. I felt my brows push together as I was attempting my very best from keeping a rising weep at bay.

"JASPER! Plea…se.. you… CAN'T! COME ON! Please…don't..do-oo-n't leave me…all.. al-one…" Oh Alice. She pressed her face to his forehead and was now covered in his blood. Beneath her eyes I saw deep purple bruises that may very well be the equivalent of a human's hot red cheeks when they cry. Both Rosalie and Emmett were at a loss for words and had nothing to say. All they could do was watch, just like me.

How could I fix this? This was my fault! I should have tried harder to stop them from hunting then maybe this could have been avoided. Why oh why did I not tell Carlisle everything I knew. Why was there some otherworldly force manipulating me. I was sure of it! There is no other explanation for my actions of late. Something else was at work here. Also, I know and would be willing to bet my life that everything was connected, and that it ran all the way down to that strange apparition.

Suddenly I felt this strange electric surge within me, and for once it was not the one that had been halting my actions whenever it felt like it. Oh no. It was almost… almost like an epiphany or simply something that I had missed or even forgotten about. I don't know why this memory came to me now.

_(Flashback)_

_When the time…comes…use your…. eyes.. your pleas… and your face to convince her…_

_With that ludicrous message teleported into my thoughts the form of the vision became a light yellow again like it was two days ago and vanished from my sight. Whatever! Go to hell where you belong._

_(Flashback over)_

Why was I thinking about this now? There were so many more important things to consider like how we were going to get Jasper through this. But… But there was nothing I could think of at all that could mend a vampire but the venom itself. There was hardly any venom left. The amounts weren't sufficient enough even with all this blood that resided in his system. I grabbed the sides of my head frustrated.

How on earth was I going to fix this? His thoughts became more translucent by the second. They were a chaotic web that made absolutely no sense. No images lived there now, only a few words within the blackness. Mostly they called out Alice's name. I guess in the end you think about the things that matter most. NO! I CAN'T THINK LIKE THAT!

There has to be something that can be done, anything! I had to think this through logically. A vampire can only regenerate as long as there is venom in his or her system. The venom is a vital part of our existence. If it is drained from us we cannot live and our brains stop functioning and we basically perish into the night. The venom is more or likely the reason for our existence but it is also our Achilles heel. It is extremely flammable and therefore a vampire can be easily seat ablaze because of it. But that is nothing to worry about now.

Jasper can't heal himself or the venom can't heal him because there is not enough of it. The venom though gets stronger the more blood we consume but all the blood was leaving his body. DAMMIT! This wasn't helping at all.

Alright, alright, THINK EDWARD! I need to think outside the box. I needed to stop thinking that Jasper was alone and could only help himself. Very well then, was there anybody that might be of help to him? Carlisle! I had to rule him out. He was in Forks at the hospital and even though it might only take a few minutes to get there I feared that it would be too late by then. Would Carlisle be able to help him? He was a doctor after all. Unfortunately he was a human doctor. There was no reason for our kind to need such a thing.

Oh come on there has to be… I softened the hold I had on my hair which I was in the process of pulling out when a light shed some of the layers of darkness within me. Slowly, I turned around and looked into the direction from where I came. No… well… maybe… could it… yeah…YES!

BELLA! A vampire that has the knowledge of countless millennia, and not to mention experience with the Moriatus that might very well be the key. Would she...? She has faced the Moriatus before she had once said. From the fight alone I could tell that she obviously knew what she was doing as if she had done it before. Not once during the entire brawl had the Moriatus gained the upper hand. Was Bella the answer I sought? Would she know how to restore Jasper?

I stopped thinking for once and turned all my thoughts into action. Before I knew it my feet began moving and I was running back towards the tiny clearing and prayed that she would still be there. The air was still loaded with the flame of smoke and ash. The flames were smaller now. The body had almost completely disappeared only leaving behind small mountains of dust and rocks.

SHE WAS STILL HERE!

I crashed through the ferns and slid across the clearing and halted not very far from her. This surprised her. She turned around with her eyes slightly raised but still unimpressed. Her lower lip was pouted and she held a stick in her hand. Was she stabbing at the remains? Childish!

Oh please, _words_ don't fail me now.

"I NEED YOUR HELP BELLA. PLEASE HELP ME!" I begged her, and was prepared to drop to my very knees. I saw a speck of amusement race across Bella's eyes as she pulled her lips into a playful grin.

"Well, now, there is at least something. The first step always is admitting one has a problem." I cannot believe she was joking around. I knew that she knew about Jasper. She was the one that pointed Alice into the direction where he had been. I shook my head with my lips pulling up disgusted.

"PLEASE DON'T JOKE. I NEED YOUR HELP. MY BROTHER IS DYING. THERE IS NOTHING I OR ANY OF MY SIBLINGS CAN DO."

"What makes you believe I have some sort of ailment for him?" She crossed her hands again and now seemed more serious. I hadn't thought this far ahead. But she knew things, things that no other immortal knew.

"Please! You…you…you...you are an ancient. You have fought these Moriatus before. Please! Isn't there some way to revive those that have been injured by it? Isn't there anything that you might know that could help us? Please Bella, YOU OWE US!"

I should not have uttered the last bit of that sentence. Bella who had just looked perfectly pleasant began to grow grimmer. Her eyes widened as her I heard her fingers grasping her arms. She traced her lip with her tongue before going on and I could tell that she was not happy.

"Owe you? I owe you?" Yes she did, and I had to stand my ground if I was going to make this happen.

"Yes you do! If it hadn't been for your impudence and failure to inform us then none of this would have ever happened!" It was relieving to remove these things from my chest and make it feel lighter. Bella didn't say anything but simply stared at me with her mouth open. I think I'm heading for a ravine.

Bella uncrossed her arms and placed them on either side of her hip. There was a small chuckle escaping her lips as she shook her head in what seemed to be disbelief. Suddenly her eyes threw themselves back up to mine. She now traced her lip with her index finger while thinking and staring at me with a piercing focus.

She took a step forward, slowly. Her head was held down as she continued her lazy pace. The pieces of grass beneath her feet cracked quite noticeably as she stepped on them. She was right in front of me now. If she'd get any closer we would practically be hugging each other. Bella lifted her head quickly and unleashed the full power of her glare up onto me. She had come so close that I could feel her cold but sweet breath brush up against my lips. I wanted to let my eyes roll into the back of my head and wanted to quite literally pass out. I couldn't believe anybody could be this intoxicating.

"Now. You listen to me very, very, very carefully. You understand?" I felt intimated again. I swallowed somewhat frightened and was instantly embarrassed.

"I owe you or anybody else for that matter nothing. I could have never told or warned you about the Moriatus. If I had you would have ventured into the forest with a feeble attempt to stop this ancient beast. Why? Because it is our nature. If we know of danger then we go looking for it and will not allow it to come looking for us.

You would have only gotten in my way _youngling_. I' am sorry to say this but there are worlds separating our skill and talent. I had to keep you in the dark however. I had to protect you from yourselves. Your instincts would have driven you into the woods without a doubt. I had to lock you away into the abyss so you would not end up hurting yourselves which would have resulted with an encounter including the Moriatus.

However, down the path I decided, strangely, to tell YOU of what lurked here in your home; though I regretted informing you immediately. Still, you knew very well what had come here. If you did not tell your family than I' am not to blame. I have no control over your actions. Indeed, I asked you to keep silent but remember, YOU KNEW!

I was doing you a favor by staying and attempting to protect you from the beast to the best of my ability. Personally I think I have done well. The incident with your brother could have been avoided of course but the past cannot be undone. It is also not my doing.

You should not blame others for your own mistakes sweetling.

Oh and one more minor detail. The next time you choose to approach and talk to me like that… You will become a pillar of ash."

Her words were very convincing and I did not think that she lied. The entire time when I had tried to tell Carlisle about the Moriatus I had thought that Bella was somehow manipulating or controlling my every whim. But now I believed that it wasn't her doing that kept me from speaking. It was something else.

I felt my fingers trembling on my sides as she spoke. I absolutely loathed it but I had to admit the fact that she was once again right. At first I thought her statement about how worlds separated our abilities was arrogant and narcissistic but after seeing her mastering the Moriatus I had to concur. I closed my eyes defeated and tired.

"Please… Please help my brother… At least… at least look at him and see if there is any chance of self-regeneration. Please Bella…" I peaked form underneath my lashes and stole a glance at her. Her expression rather surprised me.

Her delicate brows were pushed together and seemed somewhat saddened. I saw how her eyes shuddered and moved all over my face. My face?

_When the time…comes…use your… eyes... your pleas… and your face to convince her…_

Now I understood what that vision meant. It must have foreseen that it would come to this. Maybe it even knew that there was something Bella was capable of doing perhaps that could save Jasper? Then again, why would my face be so influential on her? What was it about me that awakened such a sorrow in her?

She noticed me now watching her and I saw her face hastily falling back into the prior apathetic position it was in. Bella closed her eyes and shook her head as a defeated and almost annoyed sigh fled her mouth.

She walked passed me and shoved me out of her way. She was heading towards Jasper. I felt a victorious light shine on me as I had convinced her but that light was only short lived. Who knew if there was anything she could actually do. But maybe, just maybe there was something more about the ancients that we didn't know.

I jumped after Bella and headed back into the forest and crossed the short distance between the clearing and small spot in-between the trees where Jasper was. She had beaten me to him. By the time I arrived she was already standing over him.

Emmett and Rosalie stood up surprised and taken when Bella seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. I was glad to see that their lips did not pull over their white teeth as they usually did when meeting her. Though there was no trouble in the air I decided to intervene anyway. I stepped up and put up my hands in defense.

"She is here to help." Rosalie and Emmett didn't even notice me but rather kept their attention fixed on Bella. I was somewhat relieved when I heard the tenor of Emmett and Rosalie's thoughts. Both of them especially Emmett were beyond grateful to Bella. It was because of her Emmett still had his Rosalie who in turn was very appreciative as well.

Bella lowered herself and kneed over Jasper and let her dark red eyes travel all over his body. Her expression was once more blank. Although, it seemed as if she wasn't surprised by the way he looked so obviously Jasper was not the only vampire she had ever seen to have endured this.

Alice was shaking beyond control while holding her dying husband in her tiny arms. For the first time since she had found Jasper in this state she tore her eyes away from him and to Bella. Her lips were quivering and weak from all the sobbing she had done.

"…i-s there annnyyy-thing you can doo?" Bella ignored Alice's inquiry. Instead, she lifted her hand and moved it slowly over Jasper's wounds. Nothing happened though. When she began I thought that somehow all of his wounds would heal just like that with some sort of ancient magic or something.

"He is falling into the shadows."

… …

"His wounds are too severe. The venom that is left within him is too weak, young, and thin to restore what has been damaged, and lost. I am sorry but you will loose him."

"NOOOOOO," Alice's hurtful scream echoed through the depth of the empty forest as Bella uttered the words she never wanted to hear. Alice bowed her head back over Jaspers and began to weep, hard.

I dropped my head and was ashamed. There was no more room within me for "if only". I should have done more, and should have told Carlisle even if Bella was right on the account of us getting in her way. Maybe this would have never happened then. Now Jasper was the one that was…_ falling into the shadows _as she had put it.

"Is there nothing that can be done? Maybe something you can do?" Rosalie's pleads would surely go unrewarded. I looked at Bella to hear the final no when I noticed but a small fraction of hesitation in her voice and a insignificant and almost invisible narrow of her eyes.

"No." Alice saw and heard it as well between sobs. Her eyes began to widen as she detected a small hint of hope that apparently Bella was hiding.

"There is something that can be done isn't there?" Alice talked so fast that even a vampire would have had trouble hearing. Bella returned her expressionless glance to her.

"I said…"

"TO HELL WITH WHAT YOU SAID. THERE IS SOMETHING ISN'T THERE? I HEARD THE HESITATION IN YOUR VOICE AND SAW THE SPARKLE IN YOUR EYES. JUST TELL US THE TRUTH ABOUT IF THERE IS ANYTHING THAT COULD MEND HIM."

I sighed. Oh Alice. She'll never…

"Yes there is." We halted our breaths. There...? But… but why did she only seconds ago say that there actually was nothing she could do? THIS WASN'T A DAMN GAME. Rosalie and Emmett exchanged hopeful glances as Alice's eyes grew dark and focused.

"What? Tell me! Please!" Her voice was strained.

"I cannot. It is forbidden." Alice breathed appalled and disgusted. It was a notion I felt like copying.

"What the hell are you talking about? Forbidden? It's a life we are talking about here! How can you kneel there and say something like that?"

"I have done so before." Alice's lips began to quiver again as the sorrow and misery returned to her face. She cradled the barely breathing Jasper to her chest and nestled her face up against his head.

Why was it forbidden? What in the world was forbidden? Why was something that could save the life of another forbidden? Suddenly I heard a grunt erupt from Alice's mouth along with a deep and menacing growl. Her eyes were piercing and staring at Bella.

"FINE THEN. THERE IS NO NEED FOR YOU TO BE HERE ANYMORE. SO JUST GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE YOU COLD HEARTED BITCH!"

"Alice!" I tried to reason with her but she growled at me too, hushing me.

I was afraid that Bella might take great offense to Alice's words but she didn't. Her eyes didn't even flinch at the sound of her words. Instead, they grew sorrowful again, and one could see the pity in them.

Alice's anger disappeared. Her eyes grew weary and I wondered if the eyes of us immortals could truly not leak tears.

"Ha..have you never… never had somebody you cared for? When you wish to be with them every second of the day, and when they are gone for more than an hour your heart is aching and yearning for their voice? Have you never enjoyed the miracle that is the companionship, friendship, and love that two individuals can share?

Have you ever loved somebody so much that it made you feel sad for others because they will never know the beauty and magnificence of that one person? Are you truly willing to tell me that never in all the years you have lived not even once you have experienced the flames and desires of passion?

Never in your long live somebody has touched your heart and filled it with emotions that you yourself could not even explain? Do you know nothing of love? Do you know nothing of the pure harmony that that one person can bring? Have you never wished to see that one person smile in the morning when the day begins, and then again at night when the sun disappears making your day feel complete? And after that… You just wish to sit in a room surrounded by nothing else and simply look at them and see the moon rise in their eyes. And once you are there you need nothing else but the warmth and gentle touch they can give. So, are you truly trying to tell me that you have never felt this way about anybody before?"

Bella said nothing. Not once during Alice's compassionate speech did her sorrowful expression change. I noticed that Jaspers thoughts were growing dimmer. He did not have much time left.

Suddenly Alice's little hand reached out carefully, and she placed it on Bella's shoulder. This action however Bella responded to and shifted her head to watch Alice's hand, her eyes filled with mistrust.

"Pleeeaa-ase…" Alice began sobbing again. "Please… I'll doo annyy-tthhhing for yoouu… No matter what youu wa-aant… BUT PLEASE.. PLEASE SAVE HIM!"

I took a step forward and put my hand over Alice's and began pleading with her as well.

"Please Bella. No matter you want… we will give it to you…"

Bella's eyes were fixed on me while they shook with some unfamiliar emotion. In this very instant Alice's words got to me. I recalled the time when I imagined everybody inside my mind and how Carlisle was holding Esme or Emmett with Rosalie, and even Jasper and Alice. I returned the thought I had about me, standing there and smiling with some shadowy figure in my arms. But suddenly I found that figure no longer blurred by shadows. No. It was Bella.

I saw her in my arms, smiling, and laughing. I saw my self as well, smiling like I had never done before. Suddenly, after all the days I had looked at Bella, talked to her, and even was agitated with her I felt all these emotions, my own, building up inside me. I felt as the small seedlings that she with her presence had planted began to blossom into beautiful flowers that sparkled with the rich tenderness of life. Now, looking into her eyes, and viewing her perfectly heart shaped face and the beauty of her light mahogany hair, little nose, and those big pearly red eyes I realized something I never had. For the first time in my entire mortal and immortal life I uttered words within the troubled spaces of my mind I thought I would never say.

_I love you. _

I loved her… There was no more confusion. I loved her. Although… I still felt emotions that weren't my own but I was certain of this particular one. Bella, I love you.

She sighed decimated. Would this mean..?

"You have no idea what you are asking me to do…."

"Why? Would it endanger you somehow?" Emmett asked perplexed.

"No, not like that. But… some things are not meant to be known."

We all alternated with worried glances. She had said this to Carlisle before turning the torn page from his index to cinders. Bella gripped the bridges of her nose troubled. Well, whatever she was going to do she'd better do it fast because Jasper was almost gone.

Bella tore her hand away and lightly punched the ground and exhaled noticeably. I could hear her swallow and refocused her vision on Jasper.

She moved! Bella gently placed her hand in-between Alice's hand and Jaspers head while the other wrapped around the side of his leg. She took him out of Alice's arms and propped up her knee and leaned Jasper against it. Alice crawled up right next to them watching nervously. Bella put her head softly on his head and began to massage it gently. Right now, I wish I were him.

Bella lifted her right arm up and began to pull down the sleeve of her long black coat. My love subsided as curiosity took its place. What was this going to be? What was she going to do? She exposed her white moon like wrist and arm to the afternoon breeze. Somehow…this… seemed familiar.

Her other hand came into play with her thumb pulled out. She positioned her thumb's nail right on her wrist and then… slashed it right across her veins cutting her diamond hard skin open.

All of us jumped at the scene and took a step back. This again, was something that none of us had ever seen.

As soon as Bella had torn a small crack into her wrist I saw it healing faster than I had ever seen on any vampire. She pulled her fingers into a fist and somehow stopped the regenerating process. It was amazing the sort of control she had over herself. I saw clear lime green fluid beginning to drip from the thin crack and it was her venom. I was surprised not to see any blood. When was the last time she fed?

Bella moved her wrist directly over Jaspers mouth.

"What are you doing?" Emmett asked startled. Rosalie's brows too pulled into each other confused.

"Doing what you have asked me…"

And with that small drops of venom glided into Jaspers mouth. A few landed on his lips and slithered their way into his inside. What was this? How in the world would this help? Jasper tongue began to move and I heard him swallow. This reminded me of venenum memoria. Although, firstly I don't know what her memories would do for him and secondly, Jasper is no ancient and therefore does not poses the skill to access that ancient ability. Carlisle said that not even Aro could do it.

Alice began shaking softly and disappointed.

"How is something like THIS going to…"

JASPERS EYES SNAPPED OPEN. I got the full force of his golden stare. Suddenly they began moving quickly and all over the place.

_WHERE IS IT? WHERE IS IT WHERE IS IT WHERE IS IT! _

His thoughts become bound on the fluid he had just tasted.

His eyes stopped as they found the source. Jaspers blood covered lips pulled back and revealed his sharp teeth. Suddenly he jerked up and bit down on Bella's wrist.

All three of us took another step back with the exception of Alice. Bella didn't even flinch when Jasper bit into her. But… no… no he didn't bit her. I could hear his teeth moving against her skin like he was trying to but couldn't. It was as if her skin was too hard for even his teeth to penetrate. Instead I heard him sucking loudly over the crack Bella had caused to herself, and drinking her venom.

_HMM… HMM… ITS BETTER.. ITS BETTER THAN ANY BLOOD I EVER TASTED. HUMAN BLOOD IS NOTHING COMPARED TO THIS. THIS SENSATION IS INDESCRIBABLE. NOTHING CAN COMPARE. NOT BLOOD, NOT EVEN THE PASSION OF PHYSICAL LOVE! _

Jasper groaned in pleasure as he absorbed her venom.

Swifter than even lighting itself Bella's other free hand suddenly pulled over his face with her fingers spread out. Jaspers head stopped moving. He began to withdraw as his lips left her skin. I could see the small glittering of the venom that hung to his lips. I'm sure Bella was using her telekinetic abilities. She lifted herself up from the ground quick and let Jasper fall to the ground.

I viewed her wrist as she brought it to her face and didn't even see the marks from Jasper's teeth. Her small crack was already gone as well. In the second it took her to get up off of the ground it healed? Incredible.

"Haha…ha. Ha…."

"J..Jasper?" Alice looked at him worried. His bloody visage turned to a smile as he began to laugh. Maybe his thoughts could be a window into his madness.

_Oh please… More… oh… My body feels like it's on..something... It feels so good. The energy… It's like as if it were tickling me all over and rol…_

His thoughts came to a screeching halt. His smile and laughs vanished as grunts took their place. He pulled his teeth together and was suddenly breathing through them. His hands that had seemed lifeless reached up to his stomach.

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"

"JASPER!" Alice howled afraid when Jasper began to scream. He rolled over arching his lower body up in the air and gripped his stomach.

_PUT IT OUT. PUT IT OUT. _

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM?" Alice screamed at Bella. She shrugged her shoulders expressionless.

"What you asked."

_PUT IT OUT. PUT IT OUT. _

_I'M ON FIRE!_

(Authors Note) – This concludes yet another chapter. Hopefully you guys liked it and **PLEASE REVIEW**.

Thanks to all of you that have reviewed but didn't log in. Can't thank you personally so this'll do :)! Of course thanks goes also to all those that have signed reviews!

Who else didn't like that new Victoria in the movie?

P.S Speaking of Victoria, don't worry I haven't forgotten about her. She'll still have a rather big role to play.


	23. Chapter 22

Rebirth

I felt so helpless. No amounts of wisdom could have predicted this. Jasper had been completely torn asunder by the Moriatus and bore marks so deep and thick that I thought he would wear them forever. The only hope alit for us was a mysterious and strange vampire who held power none of us could even comprehend. What had she whom I love done? Love…

Jasper rolled around on the forest floor in mind numbing pain. He trashed all around throwing his hands to his stomach and neck. Bella had allowed Jasper to taste her venom and drink it. Alice, Emmett, Rosalie and I were completely ignorant to why though. I had never heard of such a method or _ritual _to be used.

All of our faces were stricken with panic as soon as he began to scream about. It was as if she had made it worse. Though there was something familiar about this scene. His thoughts continued to yell _I'M ON FIRE, I'M ON FIRE! _That particular sensation only ever occurred during the change. Strange enough a second ago he felt a pleasure he had never experienced or imagined could exist.

Jasper rolled back over so we had a full view of his body. He suddenly arched his torso up to the sky in pain. His mind was filled with images relating to fire. There were burning houses, erupting volcanoes, and pictures of people being burned at the stake. The feeling was familiar to him yet it was more intense.

He threw his arms behind him and twisted his hands and dug his fingers into the soft earthy foil. Jasper began dragging himself up the ground with his back flat on it. Alice covered her mouth with her hands shocked and worried. Jasper clenched his teeth attempting to trap the screams and groans of agony. He pulled himself further and further along the dirty ground.

We began to follow him and studied every aspect of his actions. Speechlessness lay in the air. None of us could think of words appropriate for this scenario. Even those seldom used words of comfort one utters to one who is pain that were never approached by us sufficed. We could do nothing but follow and simply watch him.

There was a tree in his way and I wondered if he'd stop dragging himself but oddly enough, no. He threw his arms up behind him for another impact of the ground but instead found the tree bark. I didn't even notice the change of feeling. His mind was too busy concentrating on the pain and a way to hush, and cool it. His other hand flew up and dug into the tree causing a small shower of dust and splinters to rain on us.

I couldn't believe that he was actually climbing the tree. What was even more mystifying was the fact that he did so unknowingly. Whatever she had done to him was beyond painful. It was a level of hurt so deep that not even the burning of the transformation process could compare. According to the thoughts I could collect from him it was worse than even that!

He stopped! His entire body became rigid. His breaths were long and heavy. The venom covered teeth nestled in his mouth wouldn't budge whatsoever. If they'd unhinge surely enough he would unleash screams that would alarm all of Forks.

Jasper just… hung there in the tree with his fingers locked in it. What would happen now?

There was a sound in the air, a sound that we all immediately recognized. It was like hearing grease sizzling in a frying pan. The venom! We could hear it in his body everywhere. I doubted though that it was his venom. At first it seemed to be only in his torso and legs but then the sounds became louder. The venom was traveling through his being occupying ever section of him. Finally, we could hear it traveling around in his cheekbones and eyes before continuing to his brain.

Suddenly he brought his dust covered fingers to his head and whimpered in excruciating misery. With his finger no longer anchoring him harbor in the tree he began to fall. Not one of us not even Alice dared to intercept his descend. Jasper turned in the air and collided with the ground; back first.

I wish I could pry my eyes away from him so I could interrogate Bella on what was happening but it was a failure that did not even have a try. Jasper began breathing more frequently, quicker, and abundant. It became so intense that I counted about forty two fresh breaths in less than fifteen seconds. His hands still held his head while his eyes were shut tight.

Alice finally had the courage to step up and approach her paining husband. She held both of her hand close to her heart while being as cautious as she could be. She stood over him and tried to speak but the words got stuck in the back of her throat. It took her a minute to get it together for herself but then also only enough to whisper his nickname quietly.

"Jazz…?" Of course he didn't respond. He didn't even her call. It seemed he was beyond recall.

His eyes snapped open. He surprised as and we all itched with shock. His prior heavy breaths began to lessen and subdue. He was staring at nothing in particular. The images of fire in his mind were too powerful and demanding to see anything else beyond them. His hands fell from his head and to his side. I stole a quick glance at Rosalie and Emmett to see their reaction but looking at them was like looking into a mirror.

In the small second it took me to return my eyes to Jasper Emmett gasped.

"The blood…" Emmett had a legit reason for his small outburst.

The blood on Jaspers body began to move. At first one would think to check the winds to see if they were strong enough for such an act but no. His blood began to move like snakes. They zigzagged across his body making their way as it appeared back to the wounds from whence they came. The venom too began to move and returned to the site of the wounds. The blood on his face did the same. It was like it was being sucked back into his body by some strange force.

I couldn't believe what I was seeing. The blood became less and less. All of it, every single drop that was on his body and somehow connected to a bigger spot trailed back to the deep gashes. There was a rather appalling "slurping" noise in the air while the blood moved. Like his body was literally sucking it back up.

There it was. His body was perfectly clear again and all the blood had returned. The sizzling noises from within him started to emanate much louder than before. I saw why. The claw and bite marks drawn across his chest, face, and neck began to close. At first they grew closer to each other like wheeling each other in. After doing that they became smaller until they finally connected and formed a crack that eventually also simply vanished.

The horrific scratches on his face did the same. His one eye that had been deepened in color with blood became white again as also its iris regenerated. His mutilated ear retook the form of an actual ear and straightened out in seconds. Before too long his face was just like it was before. From where I stood, Jasper was Jasper again.

Somehow all the deep marks had filled themselves again and all that had been lost was restored. There was not one memory of the Moriatus remaining on his body. I smiled relieved and overjoyed to see Jasper as he was before. But my smile faded not long thereafter as I noticed something rather peculiar.

"His…his scars…," whispered Rosalie. Over seventy percent of Jaspers body had always been covered in battle scars from his past in the south. There were few places on his body he didn't have them. Humans never really noticed but to us they were clear as day. His fair complexion was always covered with dark blue marks of bites that newborns had inflicting on him. But now his scars were beginning to fade away.

These newborn scars were all over his smooth chest, and every single one of them began to lighten to match the color of his body. There were several on his arms, neck and face too. But all of them faded. They were dark blue at first but then turned lighter and lighter until they became pale and matched his body tone again. They were completely gone!

Bella's venom in his body was taking on the persona of some sort of miracle drug for vampires. I had always believed that the bite of one of us was permanent on another's body once done. Clearly l was wrong or Carlisle for that matter. The bites had dissapeared.

Complexion wise he looked just like us now. It was strange to see his body so clear and perfect though. It seemed that even his stomach muscles became more refined. The venom had done a great deal on him and apparently… … it wasn't done.

The sizzling noise of the venom became more tranquilized as it turned into a somewhat hardening like echo. It sounded as if though the venom within him was settling itself around his bones and permanently staying there. The hardening like sound it made was so strange. The sound however wasn't all it was doing.

Jasper's skin color began to change. Somehow he began to grow much paler. It happened all over him and all at once. This like the rest of the miraculous wonders was truly a confounding notion. He grew paler and paler until finally… it stopped. There was a much louder sound of something hardening as he finished. It was like cement. First it poured like liquid until it turned solid.

His fairness was no comparison for Bella's but he was paler than the rest of us. In addition, remembering Carlisle's memories, Jasper had fairer skin than Aro.

And to top it all of his eyes began to change. The golden hue dimmed and grew somewhat lighter at first until turning bright orange. Then they darkened and lightened back up in the same few seconds until they were bright red.

Silence inhabited us now. Not one word was spoken though I'm sure thousands would have if any of us weren't so afraid to go near him. The sounds of the venom subsided and all that could be heard were the distant chirps of the birds that were ever so faint.

Though Jasper seemed to be completely fine considering his reservations as well I felt somewhat panicky now. For the first few moments in which the venom hardened and settled, and his body finally stopped changing I had not noticed but now it finally dawned on me. There were no thoughts that I could hear floating within his mind. Did something go horribly wrong? Did Bella truly build a path for him to return to us or did she cut the thin thread on which he held on to?

Alice was the first to summon enough courage in order to advance to her husband. Slowly and cautiously she rested her knees on the wet ground and silently hovered over him. Jasper remained completely still. His ruby eyes were fixed on the sky and his appearance seemed lifeless. Alice reached out her fingers and carefully tried to place them on Jasper's cheek.

Suddenly as if awakened by some unknown rumble Jasper sat up faster than a flash and startled us all. Our breaths ended as we took in his strange but new appearance. Alice's hand flew to her mouth as she watched him awestruck and somewhat distressed, still.

A quiet and distant thunder roared through the skies and threw a fresh gloom like state upon us as the clouds that had been frozen as well began to move.

He lifted his hands up out in front of him and stared at them. He looked so distant, and alien. I could easily compare him to one of the ancient statues that still stand in Greece today. He wriggled his fingers and turned his hands while gazing at them questioningly. It appeared that he was truly okay from everybody else's standard but not from mine. There was still something troubling me. Jasper… I could not hear his thoughts.

"Jasper?" Alice's voice was a low squeak. She had been so afraid and sad, and still kept these emotions close to her heart so hope could not take their place just in case something wasn't right. Jasper heard her. He turned his head to Alice and watched her with an expression of nothingness on his face. Through Alice's eyes I saw a better picture of him.

He was much more handsome. He had been handsome before but now he was absolutely gorgeous. Somehow his features seemed much more refined and simply put; perfect. Even though his red eyes caused concern for Alice they did fit perfectly into his new countenance. It was funny, almost. But, it was like seeing a car after getting a brand new paint job.

"Alice?" My eyes rose at the sound of his voice that was covered with a much more musical ring than before. A dry sob ascended from Alice's throat as she threw her arms around him.

"OH JASPER!" Alice hugged him tightly. Her hands brushed through his hair, neck, and back. She rejoiced knowing that he was fine and would live to perhaps see another fifty years with her. Jasper though at first hesitant and a little distracted eventually smiled and gave in into Alice's emotions. He wove his arms around her and embraced her tightly.

"Err… Jasper… Owe.." Jasper smile faded quickly as did ours as Alice's grunted in discomfort. He retreated his arms and held them up in defense. He stared at her confused along with the rest of us.

He was stronger Alice's mind confided in me. She wasn't taken back by it though and encircled his face with her hands. A small rusty laugh came out of her just before she placed a kiss on his lips.

"You seem a little stronger now." Alice smiled at him. Jasper still looked puzzled. Though his mind was closed I knew that perhaps he didn't even grasp what had happened to him. Now Emmett decided to take the floor.

"How do you feel?" Jaspers face was filled with so many foreign emotions and actions of which I could not make heads or tails of. He lowered his hands so they rested on the ground and shrugged his shoulders.

"To be honest, I feel better than I have ever felt." I exchanged surprised glances with Emmett and Rosalie. It appeared as if though the venom did a lot more to him than cure him or change his physical appeal.

"What happened?" He didn't remember. No, it couldn't be. I'm sure he is very aware of what happened but perhaps the memory of Bella's _transfusion _was a bit foggy.

"You have no memory of anything?" Rosalie's curiosity was ours as well. Jasper closed his eyes and was certainly recalling the events that had transpired. Alice sat in his lap and didn't seem to be concerned with what happened but simply gazed at him.

"That beast, it… it took me. It was… stronger than me. It began to slash at me and tear away at me. I felt my body shiver and weaken when I felt its teeth grind into me. I could literally feel the venom moving inside of me and leaving my body. But then… everything was so dark." I had seen most of this too but from his point of view.

"That's it? Nothing else?" Jasper started to shake his head but then abruptly stopped as something else must have entered his thoughts.

"Wait. No, there was something else.

As I lay in the darkness and shared the company of pain I thought that I was dying. I thought that certainly death would come soon and carry me off on swift wings but… but there was a light. It was so bright and white. It appeared out of the nothingness of the void I was in. It glittered and had the magnificence of a sun rise. It was so warm. But beyond it was what truly amazed me. I was… speechless when I saw it at first."

"What? What did you see?" This time I was the overly curious one. Jasper looked at me tiredly as a smile moved across his new marble features. He seemed somewhat dreamy.

"White shores."

(Flashback)

_Forsaken in the dark we were… far away… from white shores._

(Flashback over)

I was able to immediately remember the melody Bella sang and the text when he said those two words; white shores. Jasper continued.

"But then… Out from the white shores and walking on top of its silvery waters was a figure. It was a female. She wore a beautiful long white gown. Her hands were intertwined in front of her. She had straight and somewhat curved caramel like hair. I… I do not truly recall her visage but rather the words she uttered in the light of that foreign realm.

She said, _there is a time for everything, and for everything there is a place but for now, you must linger on and see more of these evil days. Do not be afraid. You are in a place in which evil cannot reside; a place of power, and endless streams of dreams. Now that you have seen what lays beyond the stars you must return. _

_This place is not ready for you and you are certainly not ready for it. This light will not truly shine for you unless you take with you the three essentials of enlightenment. Perhaps one day you will see these white shores once more and all those that came before you will greet you with open arms. But for now… it is time to go home. _

_May the light of Elysium protect you. _

After that, she took my face in her hands and kissed my forehead. It was then when I tasted it."

I was baffled by his vivid description and memory. The woman he saw was without a doubt Bella. Elysium? Three essentials? Beyond the stars? The taste he mentioned was when he must have tasted her venom.

"What happened then?" Jasper was the curious one now. "All I remember after that was burning and the scourging heat like when I changed." Emmett sighed.

"Well, it'll be hard to tell you this but you did indeed almost die bro. But luckily, Bella came back in time to save us and destroy the thing that almost got us. It's because of her that you are talking and sitting up right now." Emmett smiled when he said Bella's name and pointed to her towards the end of his rant but…

When I saw the surprise on his face I turned next to me to look at Bella but unfortunately there was nothing but air.

Bella was gone.

We had been so focused and absorbed during Jasper's transformation that she must have taken the opportunity to escape. Why did she always do this? Why didn't she want to be known? It was amazing how quiet and fast she could be. As soon as I saw the empty spot beside me I felt my heart beginning to ache. For so many years it has been dormant and empty of emotion but now with the arrival of Bella I felt it coming alive again.

"Bella? She saved me? How?" Alice put her hands on Jasper's inquiring face and shifted it straight to her.

"She cut her wrist and allowed you drink her venom. When you stopped or rather when she made you stop some sort of change began to occur. You were trashing and screaming, and scaring the hell out of me."

Jasper's eyes grew wide as Alice filled the missing gaps in his memory. Jasper lifted his hand back up and stared at it. He turned his arm over and seemed amazed by the maintenance performed on his body. Every single scar he had ever earned was gone, and so were all the wounds the Moriatus had caused. His eyes lowered and became wearier or rather determined really.

"Where is she?" He looked to every single one of us for an answer but we were all in the dark. Rosalie, Emmett, and I just shook our heads unknowingly.

I felt myself growing more pained. As soon as I realized and configured my emotions towards one person they decide to run away. Figures… Still, I had a hard time believing what I tried to make myself believe. My emotions were still so confusing and clouded. I began to think more and more that there was somebody else inside of me wanting to burst through.

"We should go," Alice announced. "Esme and Carlisle were worried and skipped the banquet so they'll be home within a few minutes. We'll have to find a way to tell them everything properly. Starting with Edward telling us everything he didn't the last time."

Thank you so much Alice. There is one name to scratch of my Christmas list. Now it must have been very obvious that there were things I didn't share with them. Once we'd get home it should be fun for me to explain everything. I could only imagine Carlisle's expression and that of the others. But how was I to explain all of this? There were so many things I wanted to say but was disabled. That surge… that… vision of my human self… It knew things, things that I didn't even know.

Jasper got up from the ground with Alice still in his arms. She waved her feet excited when Jasper cradled her to his chest. He looked so different now. We advanced away from the forest and the spot where we had almost lost him. Bella's scent was still apparent and in the air. She had taken the route back to the small clearing as well.

When we arrived there the fire had been extinguished and there was a black scourge mark on the ground. Nothing of the Moriatus had remained not even a single speck of dust after Bella annihilated it; good! Not far from the mark was a small pile that belonged to James and next to it sat Victoria, weeping. His body was torn up worse than even Jasper's was. He had an expressionless mask on his face with his eyes and mouth wide open. There were no thoughts coming from him, and certainly he was dead.

Victoria heard our steps and looked up with her face dripping with agony, and despair. She glanced through our ranks until she found Jasper and gasped.

"You survived?" Victoria was stunned. She had heard Jasper's cries too when the Moriatus had its way with him and thought that he too was dead. Victoria was also present during the fight and saw the power of Bella.

"HOW?" Her baby like screeching voice almost hurt my ears. Alice decided to answer her.

"Bella. The one that fought and defeated the Moriatus saved him."

Victoria's bright red eyes took on a with rage filled piercing nature. She looked to the ground and at the remains of James and then looked back to Jasper. Her lips trembled as hatred ruled over her. Her thoughts were screaming. Suddenly and for no reason she bore hatred towards Bella. She saved Jasper but not James. She had no jurisdiction for these sorts of thoughts. By the time Bella arrived James was already dead and I doubt that even as powerful as Bella is she can't resurrect the dead.

"Let's go," I whispered. Victoria needed to be alone. She had a mate to mourn over. Perhaps after some time passes she'll find the realization that Bella could have done nothing for James.

We passed her by and started to sprint. As we dashed through the forest and away from Victoria I was able to hear her thoughts before I got too far away from her.

_She'll regret this! I swear it! I swear it to you James! I don't know how BUT SHE WILL PAY FOR NOT SAVING YOU. _

Tsk. She was insane. Bella was not involved in his death and could have done nothing to save him. Hopefully she would see that someday. I prayed for Victoria's sake though that she wouldn't do anything stupid like trying to avenge him. There was truly nothing to avenge. The thing that killed him was turned to a pile of nothing.

As we sprinted I began to think about what to tell the others. Where would I begin? Should I just come right out and explain everything that Bella had said to me? I would need to find a way to give my apologies to Carlisle in the most sincere way possible. Though I planned on telling them everything there was something in the back of my mind that decided to leave one small and insignificant part out. It concerned the apparition.

They would think I was insane if I told them; all the memories or flashes that I saw which I'm still unsure about whether or not to give my trust to. Not to mention the fact that it somehow guided me through the battle with the gargoyle before Bella arrived. It was actually this vision that deserved my praise. If it hadn't instructed me on how to call Bella we would have all died.

We came out of the forest and leaped across the small lake when I saw Jasper already standing there with Alice in his arms. I blinked astounded. During all my thinking and plotting I hadn't even noticed that he wasn't with us.

"Where have you been? Why did you run so slowly?" SLOWLY? We ran like we always do. Emmett, Rosalie, and I looked at each other confused. Alice too was a little taken by Jaspers question.

"What do you mean slow? We ran as fast as we could like we always do. How did you get here so fast? I didn't even notice you passing us." Rosalie answered.

Jasper looked confused. Apparently the changes weren't just on the outside of his body but also within. I can't even hear his thoughts anymore and now this too? He seemed physically stronger but also faster as it turns out.

"No time to brood. Carlisle and Esme are back. We can discuss this revelation together." Alice hopped out of Jaspers arms as she spoke. She grabbed his hand and jogged with him towards the house. Rosalie and Emmett followed curiously. I too eventually trailed along with them. It was amazing what her venom did to him. It was like a super drug.

When I rounded the corner I saw Carlisle's car in the driveway and felt immediate tension growing in me. The tension was focused on my own emotional climate I would experience once I'd get his reaction to all of this… madness.

* * *

Well, now that I was climbing the stairs to my room I did feel relieved that it was all over. I just remember it as a blur… a very loud… blur.

When we all got into the house Carlisle and Esme were already waiting for us at the door. Esme's worry was apparent on her creamy like marble face. Carlisle's expression was more relieved that anything. But before any of the questioning or interrogating began both Carlisle and Esme fixed their attention solely on Jasper's renovations and were both puzzled by his brand new appearance.

We all took a seat in the living area and made ourselves comfortable, especially me who would be grilled alive. Though both of them were curious, Carlisle decided to pick up the pieces from the beginning. Everybody at once pointed their fingers directly at me; traitors.

I began slowly and started to talk about how I had encountered Bella that night on the way home from the store after picking up my tuxedo. I decided to tell them about the song she was singing and even sounded out the words for them using my perfect memory.

_Beyond the stars horizons wait… through shadows and the cold abyss…_

_Forsaken in the dark we were… far away… from white shores._

_The weeps of willows are our tears… bound forever… in eternal death._

_A light to reach in the night… stretched out their hands all eight did. Bound forever… by the blood of man._

_Now we travel down the road… and alone we fly with the winds. Eternally… hidden… in the hearts of worlds._

_Forever shall we live… forever shall we live…_

_Never will we fade… never will we fade…_

_Us the Lords of old._

After I had embarrassedly sung the song for them Carlisle eyed it rather suspiciously. Perhaps he too sensed its cryptic style and how words seemed to be hidden behind other words. Obviously the song referenced vampires but certain passages still made no sense.

Jasper too rose in his seat at the sound of "white shores".

I ignored their questions for now and continued with my tale. I told them how for the first time then I heard the strange noise of something flapping its wings and how Bella forced me to go with her. I told them how we arrived at the clearing and found Laurent butchered by the beast and how Bella began to explain about the Moriatus.

"The Moriatus?" Carlisle had asked me.

"Yes, they seem to be a species that belong to our supernatural realm. They feed on the venom of vampires and have been around for as long as we have it seems."

Carlisle's shocked reaction to my knowledge of the beast disappointed him. He knew that I knew something he didn't and with it now truly confirmed his emotional state was rather clouded. I made sure to tell them though that THAT was all I knew and nothing more. I knew nothing else about neither Bella nor the gargoyle.

Carlisle admitted to the fact that in all the years he was with the Volturi and other vampires he had never heard of such monstrosities. We tried to figure out why Bella though would choose to hide its existence and had taken the blame for Laurent's death. It confounded me as well. She had explained to me why she didn't want our help but not why she took the blame for the murder. Perhaps knowing that there was something out there capable of murdering us we would have ventured into the forest? Was that why she took the blame so we wouldn't do exactly that?

I left that first night with Bella behind and retold the events of what happened today.

There were a few "oh's" and "aw's" as I spoke. Rosalie, Jasper, Emmett, and Alice hadn't even seen most of the fight. Carlisle was also intrigued by the language Bella and the beast spoke. I told him that I couldn't even understand one single word of it. He was more surprised by the fact that a powerful beast like the gargoyle could have been taken down by an ancient so easily.

Of course the last bit of the tale concerning Jasper was rather fun too. Yet again, Carlisle had never heard of a vampire performing such a feet on another.

I breathed satisfied when I finally unleashed everything unto them. Although the small bit about the surge and apparition I kept to myself. I don't know how but for some reason I knew that it shouldn't be discussed. Maybe it was that surge again or perhaps just me that thought some things are better left in the dark.

I had awaited Carlisle's reaction once I completed my story and was surprised to find his expression not angry but rather serene. This however did not stop him from a small session of scolding.

"Edward, I hope you understand the seriousness of what happened and that your choice of not confiding in us was not entirely correct. I do not expect for you to share all of your feelings and actions with us but something that concerns us all I do want to be informed about.

You might have acted on your own accord in an attempt to protect us by yourself. Perhaps you felt guilty for not telling us all that you knew and therefore decided to make up for it by acting on your own. It is also possible and very reasonable to assume that you didn't understand all that what she told you and couldn't tell us because you were in the dark about her actions, and didn't know how to tell us.

However, the next time something similar to this should occur I ask you to please lecture and tell us of what you know so we may protect one another as a family, and so no one has to carry such a load on their single shoulders."

That was about it what Carlisle had told me. Maybe he didn't say more because he still felt disappointed or betrayed, or perhaps he said so little because he was much more interested in Jasper than anything else.

"How do you feel?"

"I feel fine. Better than fine actually; brilliant." Jasper smiled when he answered Carlisle.

Carlisle shook his head amazed.

_He looks just like one of them. _

One of them? Yes, of course, he referred to the ancients or the "Uralten" as the Volturi used to call them. It was German and literally meant what it did in English. Carlisle spent the next thirty minutes quizzing Jasper on what he had experienced before he tasted her venom.

Jasper described the white shores or the realm of the white shores as a very warm place. He also described a soothing voice that was lightly singing in a language unfamiliar to him. He also spoke of Bella and how it must have been her who appeared to him. Carlisle's amazement rose when we told him about how Jasper seemed stronger and faster as well.

Jasper tested his strength against Emmett with a simple match of pressing one another's hands. Jasper won instantly and made Emmett fall to his knees and accidentally cracked his hand a bit. Carlisle began invoking theories on how her venom somehow advanced Jasper's physical make up to the stage of a four or even five thousand year old vampire. Carlisle noticed as well how Jasper's complexion was much fairer in comparison with Aro's yet still darker than Bella's.

Though in the end Carlisle had to admit that he was dealing with something he didn't understand. He could only speculate at it; immediately though his mind wandered to Bella and how he would like to meet her again and discuss these changes, and strange occurrences. However, I strongly believed that the magician would not reveal her secrets so easily.

It had been quite an extraordinary day even for us. First we almost got killed by some ancient beast, then Jasper nearly died and was reborn in the form of an ancient, and to top it all off; after one hundred years I admitted to myself that I was in love.

Everything about her was so beautiful and mystifying. She appeared so proud yet soft, strong, confident, magical, magnificent, powerful, wise, and most of all… loving. The last part though was hidden beneath her exterior shell. I had seen that part of her before briefly. The way she held me that night in the forest I will never ever unhinge from my mind. The way her fingers brushed up against my cheek, so tender, and gentle.

I reached my door and wrapped my fingers around the knob while day dreaming about Bella when the scents hit me; freesias, lavender, jasmine, and brimstone. It was an aroma sweeter than anything I had ever endured. The scent came from my room. Had she been… or was she?

I opened the door and found the darkness within. I scanned the room quickly and found a figure sitting neatly on my black couch. Her foot was tucked behind her other, very lady like, while she held a book in her hand. The other hand was resting over the couch. Not trusting my own eyes I decided to turn on the light, and indeed.

Bella! She sat on my couch reading one of my books. It was the one I had just recently obtained that concerned itself with all the ancient cities and cultures of the world.

She was here… here in my room. Was this real? My heart soared. But what was she doing here? It clicked when I asked myself the question, and remembered how she had stated that she wished to talk with me, SOON!

Thousands of emotions started to fly about inside of me. I recalled how I admitted to myself that I loved her. It was strange though. I hardly knew her yet I felt like I did. I suddenly felt this sadness I couldn't explain. There was deep sorrow of need that yearned for her. I felt regret, pain, and despair. Those were the emotions I had noticed before. They were so strong within me but not my own. I was able to keep a clear head over them and think them through. I had no reason to feel these things yet somehow I did. It was an old pain.

I took an excited step forward. She didn't move and continued to read my book. I shrugged my shoulders to myself and was about to speak when her index finger flew up and hushed me. She continued to read in the book. It was the gesture of someone reading and stopping someone else from interrupting. It made me smile.

Finally she closed the book and looked at me completely innocently.

"Hm?" I snorted and shook my head. Why… my… that woman, I laughed.

_How is he?_

My smile faded as I heard her thoughts inside of my head. But there were only words emanating from her. I can usually always see pictures as well or the world from the eyes of someone else yet her mind kept silent. It was like she only transmitted what she wanted me to hear. I'd still like to know how she was able to identify that I had a talent the first time we met.

I nodded. She smiled. Bella tossed the book on the couch and got up stretching. I had never seen a woman that dressed so peculiar yet elegant, and otherworldly. Her hair was so unique as well. It was straight and like mahogany only a bit lighter, and layered neatly along the edges of her heart shaped face.

_Compromise._

Wha…?

"IT IS QUITE AMUSING HOW A FOREIGNER CAN BE IN YOUR HOME AND NOT ONE OF YOU NOTICES!"

Bella spoke loud and as soon as she began I heard several footsteps making their way up the stairs. I caught the scent of Jasper who was the first to arrive with Carlisle closely behind him. Jasper stepped around me and joined me on my right while Carlisle did the same on my left.

Well… She got our attention, obviously. Everybody else gathered behind the three of us in the front with only Alice peeking from in-between Jasper's arm.

"How are you?" Bella asked Jasper. Jasper's brand new face that had been cleared of his former scars flashed a smile.

"Good, thanks to you." Bella returned his smile with a crooked grin.

Carlisle took a hesitant step forward but still composed. He began to speak.

"Please, allow me to thank you for what you have done for my son. If it hadn't been for you he would have surely been lost to us. I cannot begin to imagine how we will ever be able to repay you for what you did. But not only for him. From what my children have told me I understand that you also risked your life destroying a foe that could have destroyed us."

Carlisle spoke very politely and with a smile. Bella acknowledged him with a simple nod and no smile.

There were many questions Carlisle would have loved to ask. He was convinced that she really was one of those ancient things long forgotten, and that should have perished millennia ago. His doubts disappeared as I told him about the battle and described her strength; her power.

"Also, let us not forget that you also personally saved Edward from that creatures attack."

Bella again only returned Carlisle's notion with a stiff nod. There was something about Carlisle that she simply didn't like. I knew about her speech dealing with Carlisle's preference for humanity caused her agitation but I felt that there was more going on.

"How can we help you?"

Suddenly Alice popped out from behind Jasper and smiled at Bella brilliantly.

"She wants to stay with us for a while so she can take care of the things she has to do."

A smile played itself into Bella's face as she eyed Alice.

What? How would she…know.. Maybe Alice was right. Perhaps it was because of the Moriatus that her vision became as blank as it did. In Alice's mind I saw a great deal of scenarios. Every single one of them was blurry but at least not black. I saw Bella in our garden, I saw her in what looked like a jungle too. I saw her in many places that I couldn't even identify because of the lack of vision. That unpredictable?

Carlisle looked surprised. He began to think about it carefully. He would have to be sure that she herself wouldn't be a threat. The idea tickled him with joy as well. It would be his one chance to speak with a living, breathing ancient. Carlisle also felt affiliated to her. He felt indebted for lack of a better word. It would be his decision.

Jasper was for it. He looked to Carlisle with a smile. His sudden merriment towards her bewildered me but even more so than Carlisle he felt indebted to her. Alice didn't have a problem with it either. Bella sat on the highest pedestal in Alice's thoughts. Without her she would have lost Jasper. Emmett thought it would be entertaining to have her with us. He and Rosalie both seemed fine with it too. Bella saving Rosalie gave them both a change of heart in her favor. Esme was completely for it. Her entire family was saved, her children.

Carlisle folded his hands very businesslike in front of him and had reached a decision.

"I believe there would be no problem with your stay as long as you are in agreement with two simple rules I cherish."

Bella folded her arms over her chest and pouted her lips with a crooked grin hanging on the side of her mouth. She raised her eyebrows waiting for Carlisle to continue. Carlisle nodded.

"First, we must maintain a low profile here. It would be unwise for you to act on your vampiric nature here since it could threaten our existence. For the time being, could you if you should choose to, not interfere in the lives of the humans, and at least act like one of them?"

Bella graced her bottom lip with her tongue and showed great annoyance. She puffed loudly and shrugged her shoulders.

"I will try anything once…" Carlisle nodded pleased.

"Second, if you would please, do not hunt in Forks or the surrounding cities. If you must feed then you are more than welcome to the selection of animals we have or… or please travel further away to satisfy your craving with the blood of humans."

Bella shook her head.

"There will be no hunt for me as long as I stay."

Carlisle shook his head too and put up his hands defensively.

"Please don't misunderstand and I don't wish for you to starve while you are here."

"Carlisle, I am not thirsty."

"Well, perhaps not now but if you choose to stay a week or even a little longer you might be. "

The idea of Bella being with us, with me, under this roof for a week was soothing and absolutely fabulous. Maybe in that time I could learn a lot about her?

"I will not be thirsty then either."

Carlisle breathed defeated.

"Well then when do you plan on being thirsty?"

Bella's amused smile faded as an unknown emotion entered her features.

"You seem to misunderstand Carlisle. I have no need to feed."

This was surprising. As powerful as she is you'd think she would take in a lot of blood so she could always be at her peak.

"Why?" Carlisle asked.

Bella waited. She did not answer immediately like she had been. Her eyes shook with mistrust. I had seen this so many times before. Bella looked away and at the wall and seemed torn. She closed her eyes and exhaled before opening them again. She placed her hands on her hips and returned her gaze to us.

"I have not had a drop of blood in over one hundred years. I have no desire for blood now. Unlike you, I rule over the monster within."

… …

What?

(Authors Note) – That's it for another one. **PLEASE REVIEW**.

In addition, I have started something called "Crimson Chronicles: Elysium's Pride." It will be a collection of letters and poems that will foreshadow much of the future of this story and might even provide some answers you guys want. If you choose to read it let me know what you think.


	24. Chapter 23

Enlightenment

It has been two days, four hours, seventeen minutes, and…forty one seconds since Bella locked herself away within our guest room. After the shocking revelation of her "drinking disorder" or to put it in plain words "no blood for me" she immediately skipped the entire awing of our mouths so she could herself invoke three requests. Carlisle was open to them.

The very first was that she wanted a room for her thoughts. This was no problem; Alice promptly suggested giving her the extra room just down the hall from me. I was happy at first about having Bella so close but that Alice would hide her thoughts during the suggestion caused me concern. What was she trying to hide? It was too obvious. The images of Jasper or sceneries, and the thoughts of counting down in Russian or reciting the Gospel of John in Japanese were too different from her usual blabber of fashion.

Bella's second request was candles. She had asked for many white candles. We didn't question it so Esme and Alice the day after made their way to Seattle and purchased boxes of them. They put them in her room and ever since then their incense was sailing peacefully through the house.

Her last request was rather murder for Carlisle. Bella had asked not to be interrogated on her past or on whom she is or where she came from. Carlisle was displeased with the idea of not being able to study her knowledge. In the end though Bella promised that during the duration of her stay she would reveal certain aspects of the ancient's nature, power, and history as sort of a payment for her stay. There was truly no payment needed since we were the ones that owed her.

Ever since that afternoon and after Alice had shown Bella her accommodations she sealed herself in the room and had not come out. I knew she was inside. The idea of her periodically leaving had entered my mind but I dismissed it since I could her slow and long winding breaths. Her scent was also present to give me more reassurance. I wondered what she was doing in there though. Every time I passed the hall that held her room for no apparent reason I could see candle light from underneath the door. It was funny actually if you were watching it. About every ten minutes I would casually walk by the hall to look at the door, and by the time my body was already passed it my head would still be sticking around the corner.

Unfortunately I would have to leave soon to go on a hunt. I had not been hunting for almost two weeks. My thirst was already getting to me. My throat felt like the Sahara desert and was so dry that my venom nearly shaped into chunks. I resented the idea of leaving. With my luck she would come out during my short absence.

Jasper was doing alright as well. He was still a bit intimidated by his new found strength. It was amusing to watch him pick up a book, CD or even chess piece. Emmett had been annoyingly insisting on arm wrestling matches in the hopes of beating Jazz but he had to finally admit defeat after only about fifty seven matches. We were all curious about Jasper's main talent; empathy. Especially Alice and Carlisle wondered if it too had received some sort of boost. Jasper insisted on waiting for an appropriate time to try it out since he was still discovering his new found abilities.

I had not even told them that I was incapable of deciphering his thoughts. I was somewhat… ashamed. I had always been the one to keep an eye on Jasper in school and would make sure he'd stay on the Cullen path but now… I felt more and more useless and weak with each passing day. Irregardless, sooner or later they would make the discovery on their own. It was nothing all too important.

I was jogging up the staircase to get a sweater to take with me on my hunt. I planned on hunting some mountain lions this late afternoon and didn't feel like brushing off their hairs off of my shirt. I passed the hallway where Bella's room rested and passed it looking intensely at the door wishing I could just force it open with my thoughts. My whole body was already bound for my room as my head still peaked around the corner for a few seconds longer. I'm sure she's noticed my stalking.

I retrieved a blue sweater from my drawer and put it on before opening the glass door and welcoming the winds of the coming evening breeze. I sure hoped that she would do nothing of interest while I was gone. I had already informed Carlisle about my trip and wondered whether or not she heard me. He was in his office recording all the events of the past days in his notebook. He was starting to become obsessed with her identity. I too found myself in the same boat.

One quick jump and my feet already found the muddy ground. I started to sprint with a human pace and threw my head over my shoulder several times listening to see if she was going to come out or was coming after me. I shook it off and deciding to give my attention to my thirst. I started to run quicker and reached the lake and crossed it with a hastened bounce. When I entered the woods I already picked up the scents and sounds of several animals. It appeared as if though they decided to return to the forest. A Moriatus and ancient vampire elder must have really spooked them.

I ran up the mountain in the search of something more appetizing than elk or deer. The herd's had come back too and were returning to the rivers in search of water making them easily susceptible to me but I wanted something bigger.

I ran for a good ten minutes before I began to zigzag through the trees in search of a scent that would lead me to the lions. I hoped that they had made a comeback too. I almost completely forgot about Bella as I ran. I allowed my thirst to take over and now it was all I could focus on. My throat and tongue were screaming for the warm and wet nutrient that would give me peace.

Ah. There it was. I picked up the trail of several mountain lions. There were four all together. The scent was still fresh so they must have passed by here only recently. The thought of them being so close excited me. It only drove me on fiercer, and faster. All I wanted now was that blood, that kill. The faster I ran the more prominent the smell became. They were not very far away. The other smaller animals were lucky that they did not make my dinner list. The rabbits, squirrels, insects, and birds shied away and returned to their nests and holes as I passed them.

From afar I could pick up the scent and predict its direction simply. It began to climb up a tree where I could now see and hear the growling and purring of the lions. One of them was large and must have been the mother of the other three cubs. Without even thinking about it I leaped off the ground and gripped the branch they sat on and swung myself like a gymnast around and towards them. My feet kicked the lioness and threw her off the tree with her three cubs following. She hit the ground on all fours and must not have even felt me breaking her neck when she died.

I didn't waste any time sinking my teeth into her furry neck. When the venom entered my mouth I began to groan. It always tastes so much better when you wait longer than usual. The warm liquid touched my tongue and formed a pool that splashed up against my throat and teeth. It was wet, soft, and delicate. The venom in my mouth began to drop even more and bathed itself in the bloody glory. The warmth that slithered down my throat was indescribable. I could feel it filling my insides and reviving all my organs almost. The blood touched everything and I finally began to feel some fullness again.

It was only too bad that these tastes never lasted for too long. As big as the cat was she eventually became totally depleted. I released my teeth from her and breathed in the cool breeze that made the taste of swinging drops of blood between my teeth even sweeter. I collected with my tongue all that I had missed in my mouth and formed a small sphere and swallowed it whole. My throat was pleased yet it felt like it could use a little more.

"Hm…" The frenzy ended with a sound from the distance. I regained control over myself and stood up straight, teeth bared. I was astonished by the sudden audience. There, between two trees and leaning up against one with her arms crossed was Bella.

I hadn't even heard her come but with my late meal and the enjoyment of it the world around me could have been set ablaze without my notice. After two long days she had finally venture out of her world and returned to ours. Her big red orbs watched me carefully with a speck of disgust reflecting off of them.

I should remember next time when she locks herself up to simply go for a hunt to lure her out. Bella suddenly shifted her eyes to an object behind me. I followed her gaze and looked over my shoulders and saw the three small lion cubs curled up by a tree. Their hairs stood up on their backs as they hissed.

"Well?" Bella stretched out her hand towards the lion's invitingly. "You already ended the mother so why not destroy the rest of the family as well?"

Bella's words brought back a minor memory of the night she confronted Carlisle about our lifestyle. Her pride and belief in her own teachings kept the words inside of my head. I recalled how she stated that she would much rather kill a bloodthirsty human than harm a lioness protecting her cubs. The irony...

"Do not leave them be. You should always finish what you start. Besides, without their mother they will be helpless as it is. The chance of their survival this early on is minimal. When you have completed their execution follow my scent."

She did it again. Bella faded behind the trees and grew dimmer and transparent until she disappeared like a ghost. It only figures. I was in such a serene mood only seconds ago and someone had to ruin it for me. I looked at the cubs again. Bella was right. They were very young and other predators could pick them up with ease. As I looked at them I felt horrible. They were innocent souls that were still so fresh to the world and I, the monster, would end their short lives. The venom began collecting itself again in my mouth thirsting for more and encouraging Bella's words.

I picked up one of the cups by the back of its neck and the little tyke tried to claw at me. I had to admit, they were adorable so early on. I sighed defeated. I think that I was beginning to understand what Bella was trying to say. Though I felt eternal regret for the ten years of darkness I inhabited once, this small lion I felt sorrier for than any of the evil doers I had slaughtered throughout that age right now.

I closed my eyes and bit down.

I dropped the final cup after also stealing its life to replenish my own. I inhaled and exhaled heavily, and saddened. They were so young and innocent. After all these years of hunting them I finally began to think on the level that Bella had suggested. Did I truly think that they were of lesser quality than humanity? Why should their lives be forfeit instead of that of a human? No, no, no. I couldn't begin thinking down that road. The pain of seeing the shock of your human victims face is far greater than that of a lion… isn't it?

I turned around and caught the whiff of Bella's scent. I think it's time that she did some answering. I flew after the scent and traveled deeper into the forest. It was a straight path that was covered with the scents of jasmine, freesias, and all those other heavenly aroma's that shone from Bella.

Although I knew this moment would arrive I was still a bit nervous. The answers I sought I would more or likely never obtain but it was that other headline that Bella dropped that worried me. Edward, we have to talk soon she had said. What in the world would she want to discuss with me? I hope I hadn't done anything to make her angry. I didn't want her angry. When she was angry she looked more like a real vampire than anything else. But when she wasn't angry and there was nothing but that soothing chiming voice, and a smile covering her lips then she was more beautiful than any woman in existence.

The number of trees began to decrease and I was heading out of the forest. I could now make out a figure up ahead, Bella. I slowed to a simple sprint before I finally reached her and finished the last few meters with a relaxed walk. I hope that fooled her into thinking I wasn't anxious. I stepped out next to her and saw the treeless landscape and two small rivers running through the green fields. The birds were chirping and fighting amongst each other playfully above the trees in the distance.

I refocused my attention back to Bella. I would let her begin and see what path she would decide to take. She ignored me and stared out over the landscape. The cool breeze filled with very faint drizzles of rain gently brushed through her causing her wavy light mahogany hair to dance over her face. The long dark whimpers above her eyes joined in as well and vibrated with the touch of air. How can any one person be so… so dazzling? Everything about her draws me in. Her face, her voice, and even the way she smells.

She opened her little mouth that was surrounded by her delicate dark red lips and I stiffened up awaiting her judgment.

"I am sure that you have a great series of questions which you are thirsting for to be answered?"

Oh… I slightly relaxed my shoulders and gave my body a break when her tone was light and pleasant. It wasn't what I had expected at all. No wonder Alice had trouble reading her future. She was unpredictable beyond reason.

"Yes, yes I do!" Bella shrugged her shoulders smiling.

"Ask then." WHAT? You serious? She told Carlisle she didn't want to be bothered by this so why would she give me this opportunity?

I shouldn't speak out against this. It is what I had wanted all along. But would she speak the truth and not feed me a bag of lies? No, no she wouldn't. I didn't know this but I felt it. What should I ask? There were so many questions. Maybe I should fill in the missing gaps first. Perhaps… first it would be more prudent to ask why she was so open suddenly.

"Why would you want to give up the secrets you have kept to yourself for all this time so suddenly? You already told Carlisle that you didn't want to talk about anything. So, tell me, why now?"

A small laugh escaped over her lips and she shook her head.

"I never said that I would answer all the questions you are about to surely ask. In addition, I would not confide anything to your maker, Carlisle. Why? Because I do not care for him."

There would be my first question then.

"Why? Why don't you like Carlisle of all people?"

Bella's smile faded. It baffled me how anyone could not appreciate Carlisle. He was the most honest, kindest, and pure person I had ever encountered. So why in all of creation doesn't she like him?

"He is an arrogant baboon. He has drowned himself so far into his believes that he has forgotten about what he truly is. It is disrespectful towards me to treat our kind the way he does. He pretends to be one of them, mortals. He would much rather live in their world than ours. He chooses to completely disregard the teachings of our world. There is no respect for all that that came before him. You know vampires are not just bloodthirsty beasts. There is much more to us than many of us even realize.

What is even worse is that he has created children like you and has imprinted these beliefs on you. He has made you naïve, weak, and decadent. I have said this before and I will say it again. It is one thing for him to build his own doom but to involve others… You would never last in the ancient world. Carlisle must finally realize that he is not human. If they knew what he was they would never accept him."

As hard as it was I looked away and at the ground. Her words invaded my thoughts and took the ones I held of Carlisle hostage. It wasn't true. Carlisle didn't drag us with him on the path he chose. The choice was ours in the end and so we made it. I thought of Carlisle's face and his friendly smile and refused to believe the blasphemy that Bella uttered.

"Is there something else you would like to know?"

Tsk. Yeah, only thousands of things. It troubled me knowing what she thought of Carlisle. I wasn't thinking that she was right but in some ways… was she wrong? Suddenly a question inside of me forced its way through the others and cut in line.

"Why exactly did you take the blame for the murder of Laurent? Was it just so we wouldn't find out about the Moriatus and get in your way like you said?"

Bella smiled but still didn't look at me.

"Long ago, we were able to shape the memory of the Moriatus into legend, and eventually only myth. After more time passed we were able to erase them completely from the minds of the younger vampire generations."

"Why did you do that?"

"We did so in order to assure your peace of mind. We did not want the younger generations living in fear of the Moriatus. It is painful enough for many of you to handle immortality, and it does not make it any better knowing that there are creatures that could jeopardize your lives once you have come to terms with it."

I wonder who WE is? Whoever they are, they seem to be selfless. They take on the burden of hunting the Moriatus and risking their existences just so the rest of us can live in harmony. I could imagine our world being in an uproar if they were to ever discover the existence of the gargoyles.

"But then why did you tell ME?" The rest of the world was allowed to live free of these thoughts so why was I forced to know them first?

"When I took your memories, some of them, I saw inside of your soul, your heart, and your mind, and saw that there lies great potential." Some of them?

"Wait… so you didn't take everything?" Bella chuckled.

"My mind is filled with memories of my own so I am in no need for more. I stopped drinking when I received what I wanted from you but there were still a great deal of things before that that came with it. Just to put your mind at ease sweetling, what I wanted from you were the layouts of the lands. It made it easier for me to track the Moriatus."

YES! So I was right. I had hypothesized that the reason why she took my memories was because of just that! It was glorious to be finally right on something. It made sense too. Still, why was it so hard to track the thing?

"Why did it take you so long to track it?"

"The Moriatus are peculiar in many aspects. One of them is the fact that they possess no natural body odor. It makes tracking them very difficult. You must rely on your hearing, and the small tracks they leave on the ground in order to hunt them."

No natural body odor? Wow. No wonder it took Bella over a week to get to it. Wait a minute. Did she just say a second ago I had potential? I was so consumed in venenum memoria that it almost slipped my notice.

"Great... p-potential?" Bella chuckled again and shook her head amused.

"One would have asked that question right away."

I pursed my lips and hung my head to the side annoyed. Well one would not have asked if one was too busy trying to understand something else. Still, that she thought that of me was making me very happy. This was one of the reasons I liked her being with us now. She made me happy, once I passed the mysteriousness, the stares "if looks could kill", and the constant turning away.

"You are a coward! You are naïve, and you have a great many fears."

I felt like someone just punched me in the gut, and hard. I wondered if she would like to sharpen that spear anymore and then try stabbing me again.

"That is what you call potential?" Bella laughed shaking her head again. I must not have gotten something. Then again, the way she speaks sometimes it would be difficult for anyone to comprehend.

"Your youth does not serve you well. Those three elements might at first seem like great weaknessess, yes, but if they could be turned into their opposites then they are very powerful. These three traits are very strong in you. That means, if they can be turned to courage, wisdom, and fearlessness then they shall be great assets. They are what one needs if one wishes to walk the path of enlightenment."

I had a quite troubled time trying to understand what she was trying to tell me. At least now I knew what she was talking about when she, somehow, in Jasper's thoughts spoke of the three essentials; courage, wisdom, and fearlessness. The path to enlightenment? I felt like I should explore this further. There was something inside of me driving me on, wanting to know more.

"The path to enlightenment?" Bella didn't waste any time and seemed completely free to tell me.

"Of course, a great many routes lead to the great path. Humans believe in their God, and their heaven and hell. But what is there for us? Do vampires believe in these things? There are some that might; some that might think there lies salvation above the clouds or better yet, eternal torment below. It is pitiful really, to think that so many have forgotten the old ways.

They have forgotten that their truly is salvation and a life and justice higher than any of us. Yet so many go on with their immortalities awaiting the inevitable genocide without consideration that their lives are immortal yes, but the true death that follows beyond the stars, is eternal. Immortalities... they can be ended. However, eternal life, that is true forever.

Hardly anyone takes the journey through the forest anymore. They have forgotten about it. This is why when we are wandering aimlessly through the world we always search for those that would be worthy of the route. I am quite pleased to have found someone."

Bella looked at me and smiled slightly. There was a sparkle in her eyes too. Her rant made sense to me in some degrees while the other half still confounded me. The path to enlightenment? I do believe that I read something along those lines once. Buddhism, it was in that particular religion in which it was believed that one could achieve death without actually dying or something along those lines. I had never read much into it.

"Could you tell me exactly what this is? The path I mean?" Bella smiled even brighter.

"It is too find oneness with oneself. It is the path on which the three essentials of courage, wisdom, and fearlessness help to guide you. On this path all the riddles of the physical realm that are hidden in the dark become illuminated with the light in you. Purity of heart and clearness of your thoughts can aid you to his route. It is best to start with an open mind and a hollow heart in order to truly understand all that this path promises.

It is essential to spent many years within yourself and begin to understand the world around you, and listen to the spirits of our world. You must let go, and forget all that you have learned in order to learn what is needed. Once you have achieved this task, with your waking eyes, you will see what lies beyond the stars. It is in this moment when your body is no longer needed and your soul sheds itself of it and you join all those that came before you. That is the goal of all Chaos' children; the salvation of ascension."

Oh my god. She was actually talking about living in a state of pure energy. This was ludicrous, preposterous. How in the world would this be possible? Scientists for a long time theorized about such a state of being but humanity was millennia away from ever coming close. Besides, this interfered and would offend nearly every modern religion of today. This was impossible. Though… she believed that I could do that?

"You think I could do what you just talked about?" Bella held her smile towards me. This was the longest she had ever gone smiling at me.

"Oh yes sweetling. After a few thousand years that is. It takes a long time to properly situate you in a state of mind in which ascension can be achieved. But I have faith that you could rise above."

I snorted. I don't know what it was that she saw in me but whatever it was it had mislead her. There was nothing beyond this life for our kind. The only thing we have to look forward to are the barren wastelands of eternity or the flaring blazes of hell. Of course I wasn't thinking that her _way _was myth or made up. Long ago vampires or even humans might have believed in such things before they grew up though.

I looked on over the landscape before us and watched small baby fish play in the rivers and chasing each other across the waters. I was glad for today. Bella had answered several questions that had been burning inside of me. Still, many others remained unanswered. I was wasting time standing here watching the pretty green scenery, and brooding. I should be interrogating her more.

I looked back over to Bella prepared to fire my next question at her when I saw her staring at me, intensely. The pretty smile that emanated beauty and grace had faded into memory whilst a new facial expression that I knew arose. There were black and dusty shadows beneath her piercing red eyes as she glared at me. I turned my entire body to face her head on as I grew nervous again. Bella's eyes narrowed.

"I have answered your questions and presented you with much more than I should have ever given. In return, you will now tell me what I wish to know. You should also keep in mind that I am in no need for words to obtain what I seek." Ever slightly Bella's tongue graced across her teeth, and reminded me of the venenum memoria process.

This was an unspoken compromise then. She had given me much, so I would give to her in return? What in the world would she want to know from me? At least I could rest with the fact that she didn't know everything about me though. Yet it still worried me what the things were that came before the blueprints to Forks, and that she took.

"That day, with the Moriatus, you did something that no other living person is capable of. You bend them," Bella's eyes quickly glanced at the trees around us, "to your will. You ordered them to send a message over the vast expanse. It is one thing to hear them, but to talk to them…"

T-that? It was this that she was for some reason… mad about?

Suddenly I felt a surge running through me and my body became stiff again. It wasn't just any surge; it was the one that had been guiding me into the right directions actually. Bella closed the small one step distance between us and was right in my face. Her eyes were filled with some foreign emotion I couldn't quite make out.

Once again, I felt a deep ache within my heart. It felt like a deep cut that had been throbbing for years. Bella being so close to me triggered a variety of despairing emotional climates within me even though I had no reason to feel these things. I even felt the sense of… missing her like she had been gone or out of sight.

I opened my mouth to speak and felt the words get stuck in the back of my throat. It was that surge, it was preventing me from speaking once more. Apparently it didn't want me to tell Bella how I was able to do what I did. But what was so strange about it? I had to come up with a quick answer otherwise she would surely sink her teeth into me this time.

"I don't know Bella. I really don't know. I was just so desperate then. At the time I had already figured out that you must have been hunting the Moriatus and I also knew about your superior hearing skills since you were able to hear my siblings approaching long before even I did that night we found Laurent. I guess you could describe what I did as a leap of faith. I hoped that you would hear me, and come."

Bella's eyes narrowed to slits and a crimson glimmer appeared in her irises again.

"You LIE!"

Bella's hand flew up and encircled my throat with their cold touch. She pushed me back and up against a tree with her fingers fiercely pressing into my neck. I surrounded her chilly hands with my own and struggled to get her hand from around my neck. I chocked a bit when her grasp became even tighter.

"No more lies Edward. Tell me how you did it!"

I coughed between gasps for air that strangely enough seemed necessary right now. Bella lifted me off the ground and slid me up on the tree. What was so wrong with what I did? I couldn't tell her though. I knew from experience that that surge would prevent me from whispering anything.

"Very well…" I opened my eyes and had a somewhat blurry vision from Bella's tight hold on me. She lifted me away from the tree and closer to her. She opened her mouth and revealed her razor sharp and venom coated teeth. OH NO!

I struggled even more with the strength that I had but it seemed so futile compared with Bella's Herculean might. Her hair brushed up against my face and I knew that her teeth were only inches from my diamond skin. I didn't want this. IT DIDN'T SEEM RIGHT. To take the venom of another vampire, and drinking it just seemed absolutely wrong from my own personal perspective.

I felt Bella's nose touching my neck when abruptly her movements stopped. I still struggled with her one hand welded around my neck. Her fingers dug into my skin but at least didn't pierce it.

She pulled back quickly and looked at me stunned.

"There is another way…"

Bella dropped me and thankfully I managed to stand on my feet. I enclosed my neck with my hands and painfully drew fresh breaths of air. Her hold was very violent, mad almost. She looked down at me with some eerie sort of stare.

"Come." She turned and began to walk away and back into the forest. I watched her suspiciously and unsure of what to do. The last time I followed her or rather her kidnapping me lead me to a deceased body of a vampire. Where would she lead me now? Bella turned her head over her shoulder, surely because of my hesitance.

"Must I carry you again?" I immediately closed the distance between us. The memory of my piggyback ride that night wanted me not to have it again. I liked my own speed in which I could actually make out where I was going.

Expressionlessly she leaped forward and out of sight. I hardly saw it. I started to run and followed the clear path of her scent. As I ran I could not see Bella anywhere in front of me and I was pushing the very limits of my speed. I began to explore possible ideas of what was to come. Why in the heck was my calling her so strange. Why would the surge not allow me to tell her about it? I began to feel more and more like someone that was possessed by some evil spirit.

Bella led me up hill and above the cloud bank. What was this going to be? Well whatever it will be, it beats getting bitten and the life or memories getting sucked right out of you. At least I hoped it wouldn't be worse.

I could finally see Bella from a distance slowly pacing impatiently. I halted when I reached her in no time. I took a good look at the surroundings. We were still in the forest with its green ferns and grass covering all that was in sight. There was a small patch behind Bella that was lit with sunlight. The trees actually allowed some light to pass through their thick crowns for once and being above the cloud bank helps too.

Bella pointed right at the small patch of light. I was to be standing in it then obviously. I sighed a bit and decided to just do what she asked. I passed her and watched her glimmering red orbs. They were so beautiful. They looked like shining rubies, emanating a mystical and warm glow from another world.

I closed my eyes and entered the light. We so rarely did this. I felt the heat of the sun glistening on my skin and it felt good. My body has missed this. I had not sucked up this sort of light for awhile. Usually I ventured out to a small spot in the forest covered with endless flowers and grass. It looked like a rainbow on the grown that meadow did. Perhaps I could take Bella their sometime. Would she like it maybe? Oh I hoped so.

I opened my eyes and turned around. I stole a quick glance at my hand and saw all the thousands or millions of sparkles that belonged to the diamonds nuzzled in my skin. Why our skin became what it did during the transformation had always stupefied me. I heard the noise of cracking grass blades and looked up.

Bella with her eyebrows curved and looking worried approached me. Her eyes rested on my face and traveled between it and my neck, and hands. She folded her arms across her shoulder and shook her head doubtfully.

"Impossible…" I blinked surprised.

"What is?" Bella ignored my questioning plea. Instead she came closer until her feet stood in the light while the rest of her body remained in the shadows. Oh I wished she'd come closer. I would love to see her with so many lights on her skin, and looking absolutely stunning.

It seemed as if though my wish were to come true. Bella unfolded her hands and took another step forward and directly into the light above.

Of all the miracles, evils, and unexplainable events that I had witnessed over my many years upon this earth this by far topped it all. Bella in the light… It was… it… unreal. I smiled when Bella was about to join me in the rays of the sun but my smile faltered when the sun revealed her true and alien nature.

My body and the bodies of all the other vampires I met over the years had millions of small diamonds covering their skin. There were thousands of sparkles all over their bodies including my own. But Bella…

She didn't sparkle. No, Bella shined. It was like looking at the moon in the night sky and viewing the magnificence of Luna's ray. It appeared as if though Bella's entire body was covered by only one single diamond. I lifted my hand and turned it to see the rainbow glitters. Bella lifted her hand as well and levitated it next to mine. It was like she wanted me to see.

Compared to my hand hers was much more extravagant. A thousand sparkles covered mine while hers simple shined like the moon or even the sun. Bella's "shine" was white almost or a very light blue. There was also some very light green and pink hues attached to the end strains of her magnificent light. She left me speechless.

Her face… Her big dark red eyes were even a bit illuminated by the light and were slightly brighter. Bella looked like some sort of celestial being, a goddess, a higher power not of this world.

Suddenly my hand began trembling and slowly started to reach for her face. Part of me wanted it but a large portion of me thought that I shouldn't. I had no control. Bella's eyes widened shocked with my move. But she did nothing to stop me. My hand was now hovering above her cheek. Tremblingly, my thumb rested beneath Bella's eye while my other fingers closed the distance and settled on her face.

On touch something happened. In my head I felt a strange heat and flow of electricity that was going insane. I felt these rapid emotions flowing through me. My insides were beginning to feel as if they were crying and whimpering like they were saying: "Finally". No… this wasn't right. I didn't have these sort of emotions for her. No…

Who's feelings are these?

FLASH! Out of nowhere a white flash appeared before my eyes and I saw white clouds flying by me again. It was exactly like the night when that strange apparition visited me for the very first time. It seemed like I was flying through time and space.

The white flash appeared again and I had a new picture before my eyes.

In the distance I could suddenly hear the crashing of waves. The ocean? This was different than before though. I felt like I had no control, no body of my own. My vision saw Bella, still, yet different. There was color in her cheeks. There was a light reddish blush covering her cheeks. Her eyes looked creamy and chocolate brown. Bella was smiling. There was a light layer of white covering her head like she might be wearing a robe.

On the side of her face where I had just placed my pale and sparkling hand rested now another. It wasn't pale though but rather filled with life. This time it looked like I was watching through the eyes of someone else.

Bella's human hand lifted and covered the one that was cradling her face, and she leaned into it closing her eyes.

Words entered my head. They were speaking to me.

_If something happened once… it can happen again… _

The flash of white returned and I was transported to where I had departed from. I regained control of my body and the vision before me was now different again, but only slightly. The humanity had faded out of Bella's face and her chocolate brown eyes turned red again. She stared at me dumbfounded.

I withdrew my hand when I finally felt control over my own body again. Had she noticed my departure?

"I..I… I…I'm sorrrry.." She watched me suspiciously.

What did it all mean? Why was I seeing these visions, memories or whatever they are. Where was the connection? That translucent copy of me or did Bella have something to do with all of this somehow? I looked at her stunned when I recaptured the picture of her dazzling appeal. She was my moon, my light.

"Who are you?" Bella held no expression in her face.

"There was only one that could ever bend them to her will…"

Bend them? THE TREES. Of course, I had nearly forgotten why we were here. _Another way _she said… So what did this prove then, standing in the light?

"Does that come with age?" So many different things seemed to appear once a vampire had seen enough years; heightened senses, strength, speed, and certain abilities that I myself consider unnatural.

"No. All vampires lose the light of their body once they grow old enough."

"REALLY?" I didn't mean to scream at her but I couldn't help it. Bella nodded once. Whoa…oh..wow… But then why did she…?

"What about you? How come you didn't lose the light, the sparkle? Why is your light so different than ours?" Bella shook her head.

"Another time should there be one." NO! Please, I couldn't stand more questions and even less answers. I knew though that she wouldn't spill. She was much more interested in why I was able to deliver a message to her by means of the trees. I didn't know myself actually.

"There was only ever on vampire capable of speaking to the trees. She alone held the power to truly associate with the spirits. There are some of us that can hear them and listen to their melodies but to answer them is a feat that hasn't been seen in nearly four thousand years; not since she vanished."

"Who?" Suddenly I was interested again in her words after being disappointed by her lack of information.

"A vampire of legend. A vampire that was once worshipped like a god by man. It was she who brought upon the end of the war of wars and murdered Sekhmet. She led the ancient troops of the undead to war to end the wars. It was one that walked the path of enlightenment and used the knowledge of the ancients to stop all the evil that had spread, and with her brethren, returned the light to the realms of all living things.

It was the vampire lord, Celest Alathielle."

Vampire lord?"

**(Authors Note) – **I hope you guys enjoyed it.** Please REVIEW**, would love to get to the big 500 :-)!

Thanks to all those that I couldn't thank privately, lilly-twilightlover, detta, Amenoria, mely, bekaviewer, and shelley.

I will hopefully also be updating Crimson Chronicles: Elysium's Pride soon.

Also, the new and short life of Bree Tanner stunk. Anybody else feel like she should have been finishing Midnight Sun instead of wasting her time with that? Sorry to you guys who liked it but that's just how I felt when I read it.


	25. Chapter 24

Celest

Bella stared at me with a foreign flow of ancientness in her eyes. There was seriousness in the air that I could not comprehend. I still did not fully understand why my call through nature was such a large ordeal.

"V-vampire lord?" Celest Alathielle? A vampire of legend that ended the wars? I remembered her name was on the list that Bella had destroyed. It was referenced under the oldest names in our world. How could such a vampire have faded into nothingness? Why did Bella destroy that page? Was she trying to protect something?

"Tell me. What do you know of the war of wars?" Bella folded her arms across her chest and looked at me expectantly. I recalled the memory of when Carlisle had told me about the sons of Midgard. I shrugged my shoulders.

"Carlisle told me about Odin and Midgard and how he led his troops against Sekhmet." Bella snorted.

"Figures… Somehow I'm not surprised that Carlisle told you about that dog Odin." My eyes rose wide in surprise at the word "dog".

"Dog? Carlisle told me that Odin and his legion of vampires fought with valor and pride. They did all they could to defend their home against the Egyptians and were also successful. It wasn't until Sekhmet kidnapped Frigg that those ancients fell."

"EXACTLY," Bella yelled, "Odin sacrificed the lives of many good vampires for but one goal. He threw away their lives only to save Frigg. It was a campaign that had vain written all over it. He knew so, and so did his followers and so they still followed their lord into death. Even after I asked him not to…"

I gasped. "You knew him? ODIN?" Bella pursed her lips and chuckled a low and dark laugh.

"Oh yes. I knew them all. Many of them were my friends and he led them into their doom. I have no sympathy or respect for his memory."

I understood Bella's words and I could definitely see where she was coming from. But I wondered if she had ever been in love before. Odin only did what he had to save his beloved. Still, her words got to me. Would I sacrifice the lives of my family to save one whom I love?

So Bella knew them, and all of them. I'm sure she was involved in the wars too. Carlisle said that there wasn't one vampire that wasn't affected by the wars back then. I wondered what Bella's role was or who she sided with.

"Is that all Carlisle told you then?" Bella looked at me suspicious with a small smile playing on the side of her lips as if she knew that that was truly all of it. I'm sure that if I told her Carlisle wasn't able to stomach the atrocities committed during that time that she would think even less of him. I wouldn't do that.

"Yes. Carlisle like many others only know what they have been told. I mean, everyone believes that the ancients faded out of memory. Most vampires who are still alive today think that the Volturi are the oldest vampires in existence." I used to believe that too, until I met Bella.

Bella nodded silently to herself. Even though her pretty ruby orbs rested on me I didn't think that she was looking at me. It was if though she was seeing through me and at something else. Her eyes now shifted to her side and looked at nothing in particular. I think she was deciding something within herself, some sort of internal conflict maybe.

I think I know. Bella is trying to decide whether or not to tell me about the wars. Suddenly though the wars even though interesting didn't really appeal to me at this moment. It was that other thing that she mentioned that outshone all the other questions floating around in my head. The term "vampire lord" for example peaked my interest. The only thing that made me even more curios was that name Bella mentioned, "Celest Alathielle".

I felt this sudden urge, or should I say surge, to find out more about this vampire. Something told me that there was something about her that caused her to be of great importance. She was a vampire of legend, the vampire that ended the most horrific event of our history, and then somehow disappeared into the void of nothingness. I wanted to know.

"Very well…" Bella's sudden words returned me from the dusty recesses of my thoughts. Her eyes retook a true focus on me and were no longer seeing beyond me.

"I will now tell you a tale that was last told when the pyramids were still young sweetling. The only reason why I will confide this in you is because I believe in your potential to reach enlightenment. If you ever speak a word of this to anyone but your image in the mirror I will personally rip out your tongue and keep it as a souvenir of the new world. Any questions?"

Bella cocked her head to the side smiling slightly and repeatedly flicking her eye lashes. My tongue moved as far as it could to the back of my mouth and I swallowed intimated. I nodded vigorously and a bit frightened. Bella flashed me a brilliant and approving smile. She turned and walked the few steps back towards the spot we had just been in and where I saw her magnificent glow. She slowly placed her hand back into the light, and the aurora like glow began.

"Why do you think my… glow, is different from yours?" I had tried to imagine an answer to that question before. She had said that vampires will eventually reach an age at which the sun can no longer betray our identities but why Bella was different and her "shine" for that matter remained a riddle in the dark.

"I don't know." I answered honestly shrugging my shoulder at this mystery. A small chiming laugh escaped Bella's mouth. She looked at her own hand and turned it with her palm facing the light. Her shine was so beautiful. Instead of the millions of diamonds imbedded on my own skin it was like one great jewel covered the length of her entire body. Her glow also did not hold the slight glimmer of rainbow sparkles but rather the intensity of the moonlight or better yet, the aurora lights.

"There is one other vampire that shares this trait with me." I didn't even have to guess. I could very well imagine who that was.

"Celest Alathielle." Yes, of course. This made sense, somehow. Bella spoke highly of her and with pride when she uttered the bit of history surrounding this vampire of legend. I wondered though, what was it that caused this shine?

"When I was… alive, when I and Celest were alive; we were people living beneath the light and serenity of the planet, and bathed in the protection that it had given us. We both were able to hear voices all our lives. The voices belonged to the spirits of our world. The trees, the water, the wind, the animals, and everything else that was part of the life stream whispered to us. We belonged to a race of people to which these life forces spoke to.

When we were alive, we WERE flesh and blood. But…"

I crept forward a step raising my eyes. "But?"

"But not human!" I gasped. This was a joke. Oh please, how far could you take this? All this mystery surrounding her and now she drops a line like this to top it all off? Impossible! Obviously Bella was no longer human but she looked like she once was.

"Tell me Edward, how old do you believe I am?"

I crossed my arms and began to think. I had done a lot of brainstorming on the subject. Bella was definitely over three thousand years old hence the physical complexion being fairer than even Aro's. She also remembers the wars, and just mentioned that the tale she will unfold hasn't been told since the pyramids of Egypt had just been build. Maybe over… six thousand years or…

"IN HUMAN YEARS YOU BABOON!" Oh… I chuckled. I knew perfectly well what she meant but teasing wasn't against the law although in our world it might get you killed. Bella was… adorable when she was agitated. She closed her eyes, shaking her head, gritting her teeth, and had her fists balled up on her sides.

Well, I would have to say that she was my age or perhaps two or three years older but not much more than that. That was a save assumption to go with.

"I would say about seventeen, or maybe nineteen." Bella crossed her arms over her chest and smiled disapproving. Not that young? She couldn't be much older than perhaps twenty two.

"I was fifty three when I died." My breath got caught in the back of my throat.

"E-excuse me?" No way. She became more mystical and downright impossible by the second. _Not human _she said. But how in the world could she have gotten that old without aging?

"There once existed a land that was forever green and filled with harmony of a magnitude you could never imagine. This continent was named by the inhabitants and called, Mu. It was home to but one type of people who dwelt in their great white city founded by two brothers, Critias and Timaeus. I and Celest once lived in that great metropolis. Atlantis!"

Suddenly my memories flooded my waking mind. The visions that I had seen flashed before my eyes and recaptured the moments of that beautiful garden covered in flower beds, the white and neat architecture, and most of all, Bella. Were they true then? Was it all real what I had seen? But… the timeline. I couldn't trust Plato's account. There were too many unanswered mysteries surrounding that legend. Ten thousand years, or perhaps eight or seven thousand or maybe even less than that; there was no way of telling how long ago that city existed. I wished I knew.

"The Lanteans looked human but were nothing like them. As I have said, when I was fifty three years old I looked much like you do now and like a teenager. Our lifespan was much longer than that of regular humans."

"How much longer please?" I still couldn't believe what I was being told.

"My grandfather died when he was three hundred and twelfth." I puffed astounded. Bella wasn't lying. I sensed the seriousness and the truth in her voice. But it couldn't be only age though. There must be something more if they couldn't be defined as human.

"We were what humans might one day become, a race that speaks with one voice."

"Why were you so different?"

"Creation? Evolution or perhaps it was environment that affected us profoundly. Can you give me a certain answer to that?"

Unfortunately I couldn't. I had some believe when it came to creation and God but I was also a mind of science and believed strongly in the theory of evolution. There was nothing wrong with believing in both. I knew that environment could affect life and change it so it can better suit itself to that environment. I had read about this before.

"What else was there that made you so different?" Bella didn't hesitate to continue.

"We lived free of sickness. It was unable to ever touch us. I remember once falling down a flight of stone stairs and breaking my arm. It hurt a lot. I was a bit clumsy in my early years."

I smiled. I could envision it perfectly. Bella laughing and not paying attention, and then eventually tripping and rolling like a boulder down the stairs was quite amusing to think about although I was sorry that she got hurt.

"I remember my bones being completely mended two hours after." I rubbed my temples while trying to take all of this in.

"As you can see, our anatomy was different from yours, especially our brains." That caught my full attention.

"How so?" Bella smiled at me. She uncrossed her arms and began to look at our surroundings, searching. Her glance rested on a small rock sitting between two old looking trees. Bella raised her hand and flexed out her fingers. Suddenly the rock began to shake. I watched dumbfounded as it looked as if though the rock was coming alive. It began to rise up from the ground. It rose higher and higher with ease and levitated in the air. I noticed that as the rock rose so did Bella's hand. Telekinesis…

"Vampires after many millennia and after walking the path of enlightenment for an extended period of time will gain such abilities. I however, have always been capable of this, even when I was alive."

AMAZING! Bella's race, the Lanteans were like the master race of sorts. I watched the rock float in mid air completely awe struck. I wondered what Carlisle would do or say if he was here. This was something people longed to see, those that believe in these things would dance with joy that their believes where proven true if they could see this.

The rock began to descend along with Bella's hand and landed gently on the ground and back in its original position. I looked at her completely speechless and amazed. She threw me a crooked grin when she saw my surprised features.

"That was not the only ability that we possessed. Some did what you can do. There were others that could do what Jasper can. There were those that could run faster than others, or be even stronger than others or even levitate themselves. Our brain activity was much more active than the one of humans. We also used this in order to speak to the planet, to nature itself."

I couldn't say anything. These people were like vampires but alive. I wondered if there was some sort of connection between the Lanteans and vampires.

"Celest and I were the only two Lanteans ever to be turned into vampires, into Valar." Wait… That word sounded familiar.

"I heard that word before. When you and the Moriatus spoke that strange language I distinctly remember hearing that word." Bella nodded pleased.

"Yes, it is a word from a language older than any that you know. The word means _dead thing._"

"What is that language?" The language sounded familiar also from somewhere else. In the vision of Bella at the docks she spoke a language that sounded much like the one she exchanged with the gargoyle.

"It is called _Vamerra_. It is the language of the dead, our language, and it is also the ancestor to Latin."

Wow. Vampires affected human history more than I had ever realized. Vamerra… Why I had never heard of it before? I could pretty much guess at it though. All vampires of today's age are too young to remember the language. I'm sure that it was spoken frequently thousands of years ago by the ancients and when they disappeared so did the language. Latin… a dead language… how ironic I thought amused. Wait a minute…

"Why were you and Celest the only ones to be turned? Did vampires not feed on your people like they did on the rest of the globe?" Bella closed her eyes and shook her head.

"It was our connection and friendship with the spirits of Gaia that granted us immunity. They shielded us from the Valar's vision. Even if one of them ventured onto our continent the trees would use their natural chemicals to confound them and drive them away. The spirits favored and loved us because we respected and cared for them.

Lanteans were Sheppard's of the forest. As they gave us their life energy to live we returned ours to them. We saw them as brothers and sisters. We cared for their ecological system and made sure to maintain their balance. The spirits were strong especially on the continent of Mu, more specifically, in the Lantean forest surrounding the city."

"Why?"

"The ancient Lantean elders Critias and Timaeus build the city on a spiritual place of power. In the very spot the city was build the five natural elements met; fire, water, wood, earth, and metal. The city was built on the highest point of the continent; earth. Atlantis possessed natural hot springs that were very relaxing and aided our longevity; fire. The city was built by not tearing down any trees or plant life and therefore many buildings and temples had in fact trees within them; wood. There were rivers running through the city and drawing in circles, and not mention the great ocean; water.

Another reason Atlantis was built where it had been was because of the natural metal mines beneath the city. Many artifacts were forged out of that metal. Unfortunately by now, the mine is dry and the metal does not appear on any other continent of earth."

"What metal?" I wondered why Bella did not give the metal a name. What was it? Silver? Gold or perhaps platinum? Bella pursed her lips.

"Did Carlisle tell you how Odin met his end?"

I quickly invoked Carlisle's words in my memory. He spoke of how Odin had been decapitated with some strange dagger or athame that was in Sekhmet's possession. That had me puzzling, how could a simple weapon as that slice through the diamond skin of a vampire, an ancient nonetheless. Bella's eyes glimmered with that strange redness again before she reached behind herself. I waited patiently to see what surprise she would pull out of her sleeve now.

From behind her she pulled out a dagger. It had a golden grip with a ruby engraved in its body. The blade itself was a very light blue with markings running across its spine. You have got to be kidding me. As I examined the artifact I immediately remembered the description Carlisle expressed about the weapon that killed Odin. Could this be that weapon?

Bella placed the blade horizontally on top of her palm and held it out to me, offering it. I looked at her shocked and I could see in her eyes that she knew what I had realized. Nervously I reached out and softly grabbed the millennia old weapon. I held it close in front of my face and began to turn it to study it further. The handle was very smooth and comfortable to hold. The blade was a pointed triangle and looked beautiful. I gave my attention to the markings on the spine. At first they reminded me of the Runes but of course they weren't.

"What does this say?" I didn't look at Bella when I asked but continued to study the athame.

"Life protects life, rush upon this blade, and return to life."

"Is this the actual…" I shouldn't have asked because I already knew. I was holding the instrument of Odin's destruction. Bella didn't answer me. She must have sensed my understanding of the weapon by my surprise and widening eyes.

I lifted my fingers and wanted to run them along the edges of the blade. It somehow hypnotized me. It was so beautiful.

"NO! Edward!" I snapped out of my trance and looked back at Bella. She held out her hand awaiting the return of the athame. I sighed disappointed and unhappily returned it to her. Bella lifted the athame out in front of her and gazed at it emotionless.

"This blade can cut through a vampire's diamond skin quiet easily. It is made of the metal that was found beneath Atlantis; Mythril.

It is the hardest metal on earth. It can sustain any sort of blow and can slice through swords like it can through the stems of flowers. Yet, using it for production is quite difficult. One must use the lava flow of the earth in order to melt it down, and then act quickly to forge it into whatever one desires. It takes quite a while for lava to melt it down let alone destroy it. After the searing fires are gone it does not take long for it to retake physical form."

Bella must have been describing some sort of fantasy world. It was unthinkable and damn near unbelievable that such a metal, people, or even city once existed. Bella stuck the small dagger back around her and it disappeared.

"How on earth did you get that?" Bella smiled saddened. Her eyebrows curved filled with sorrow.

"Celest gave it to me before she vanished."

Oh… Being the last of their breed must have brought Bella and Celest together and surely they were good friends. There was still something bugging me. How could have such a powerful metropolis disappeared so suddenly. In the vision I saw a giant tidal wave was about to destroy the city. Was that true then too?

"Where are your people now? How come you and Celest are the only ones left?"

Bella held her despairing look and turned around so I couldn't see her face. I must have hit a soft spot.

"My mother once told me that millennia before even my birth a giant wave of water was going to crush our beloved city. She spoke of how all the citizens came together and reached across the city taking each other by their hands. All of them opened their minds and together their thoughts became one voice. They used their power to speak to the water and to reason with it. The voice was powerful enough to calm the wave and it disappeared.

My mother told me that story often. Yet, the second time around… Thousands of years later and after my birth a second wave appeared out of nowhere. It was a leviathan, and had the power to swallow our home whole, surely. So the people did what their ancestors had done before them. I remember holding the hands of my mother and father and opening my mind to all my people. But…

This wave was different. It could not be reasoned with. It had no voice, and was so unnatural. It was as if though it was being controlled by some sort of puppeteer. We had never encountered a force of nature not wanting to communicate with us. It had been silenced by something and manipulated into destroying our city."

Poor Bella. Plato's accounts were right then. Atlantis indeed was destroyed by some natural catastrophe.

"Some did survive however. They fled to the nearest continent, Africa. This was the reason why I had you stand in the light of the sun. I had hoped to see some resemblance to my shine on your skin. I had thought that perhaps somewhere down the line of your ancestors a Lantean might have interbred. The abilities to _hear_ and _speak_ are hereditary. I was wrong."

Bella took a deep breath of the fresh cool air in the forest and turned back around to face me. The despair and agony had left her face and was replaced by her usual expressionless and somewhat "sure of herself" look. It was very hard to wrap my head around everything she had already told me. There were so many questions I now had concerning her people and the extraordinary difference between humans and Lanteans. I wondered how that came to be. Both species could not have appeared without a common ancestor. The physical likenesses are far too similar. I am sure Lanteans were once humans but perhaps their biology was somehow affected that caused these miraculous changes.

"Celest is the daughter of Sekhmet."

Bella dropped this bomb on me without warning. She must have picked up on my deep state of thought and decided to snap me out of it with one huge blow. The questions in my mind began to multiply themselves. I tried to create categories in my head that separated Bella herself from Atlantis, Celest, and everything else that I put in the "everything else" file.

"Celest was one of the few that was able to escape to Africa, or as we knew it then; the land of Nod. The people that survived were capable of boarding small ships and sailed them into the east. They used their abilities to influence the parts of the ocean that did indeed listen, including animals to get them safely to distant shores. This journey was very tiresome however. Even though nature was on their side they still expelled a great deal of physical exertion in order to flee the giant tsunami. There were some that died when reaching the shores because of their physical exertion. There were others who's boats arrived but unmanned. Some, of course, were fortunate enough to arrive unharmed after the great journey and began pilgrimages across the world of men.

When Celest's small ship arrived… She was almost dead. She used far too much power and energy in order to carry her safely across the waters. Our bodies might have regenerated fast but our minds could still become unhinged if we used our abilities to excessively. When she told me of how she was saved she spoke of a benevolent olive skinned woman that took pity on her and decided to carry her into the jungles. At the time she had not realized that it was one of the Valar that had found her; Sekhmet.

My…salvation was very similar to hers."

I could only imagine the great strain inflicted on the survivors that had to carry themselves across the sea. From how Bella spoke of the journey across the waters it seemed like the continent of Mu might have been located in the Atlantic Ocean.

"Sekhmet was not always as she ended up."

I blinked surprised thinking of all the horrendous crimes Carlisle told me that she had committed.

"What do you mean?" Bella shook her slowly at my ignorance.

"The true reason, the true perpetrator of the wars sweetling was not Sekhmet. I am aware that many speak of Sekhmet and Athena, and as two vampires that should never have met but… It was not like that.

It was Athena that caused the beginning of the wars. It was her lust for power and domination that eventually lit the first light of the war."

Bella didn't exactly answer my question. I was still hung up on the part of Sekhmet not being always being so evil I guess.

"Vampires back then, much like today possessed certain abilities that not all carry; talents if you will. Athena was no exception to this. It was her ability that made Sekhmet what she became. The ancients called this capability "the touch of death". They named it so because Athena was able to turn all that she touched foul and sour, and I mean that literally.

You see, the vampire realm was far to extensive in those days and Athena being only very young then knew that she could not achieve her goal unless she recruited others to do her dirty work for her. Yet, vampires in those ages were much more interested in the path of enlightenment than anything else. Our species is not a warring one, not back then anyway. However, with her horrific talent she knew that she could turn the favor towards her.

Her ability consisted of the power to turn the aura's or minds of others into their opposite. This means that she had the power to turn all that was good to evil, and all that was evil to good. Once she had done this there was no going back and one was forever frozen in that state of mind; good or evil. So, if you were benevolent, loving, caring, and had a pure heart Athena's touch could turn you murderous, hollow, cruel, and purely evil. The greater the good the greater the evil would be, and vice versa. Do you understand what this means?"

I nodded understanding. As evil as Sekhmet was, and as sadistic and cruel it meant that once she was much like Carlisle. But Athena turned her into an incarnation of evil. Some talents that our species controlled were amazing but it seemed that the ancient had talents that were completely unheard of. Bella's ability to create fires out of nowhere was the perfect example of this.

"Celest was found by Sekhmet when she was still the person she once was. Sekhmet was a person loved by a great many people. Sekhmet also followed the path to ascension and hoped to one day see the white shores that lie beyond the stars Celest told me. Sekhmet was very much like you and the rest of your family. She too did not feed on humanity but rather the blood of animals. Her existence was a peaceful one filled with serenity. She had accepted her fate as a vampire and secluded herself from civilization to spend much needed time in mediation in order to take her first step towards the three essentials.

Even knowing this, there was something plaguing her heart. It was something even more common than grass on the ground; loneliness. Sekhmet had for many years considered turning another into what she was so she could have a companion. She rejected the idea many times but when she found Celest… that was it.

She saw the beauty of Celest and how unfortunate it would be if this being the sea carried to her would fade away. So, Sekhmet took it upon herself to turn Celest into a vampire."

There was something fishy about all of this. I would have to call it intuition. The way Bella spoke about Celest and the events in her life seemed a little too vividly detailed. I wonder… I held up my hands defensively and interrupted Bella. She looked at me with a raised eyebrow. I coughed a nervous laugh.

"I'm sorry but there is just something I have to know right now and if I don't ask I'll just be driving myself insane. Ok?"

Bella nodded once.

"Celest and Bella, they are two different entities correct? I mean… you're not just referring to yourself here?" Ever since Bella began to tell her tale I had wondered about it. The way she described everything just seemed a little to precise to be told from someone's point of view who actually didn't experience any of these events.

Bella smiled and looked to the ground.

"Edward… Celest went missing about four thousand years ago. Believe me, her and I are two completely different vampires. I could only ever wish to be anything like her. She and I are very different. Celest was strong, proud, and a true warrior. She was able to open her mind and actually return words uttered to her from the spirits. I am nothing like her."

A sudden shadow moved across Bella's face, it was that sudden sadness again. From my perspective Bella was a strong and proud warrior. But only because I saw her as such didn't mean she or everyone else for that matter did. I sighed satisfied. I decided to believe her. I waved my hand out in front of me inviting Bella to continue the story of Celest.

"Anyway, Celest woke to her new life in the ancient jungles of the African continent. Sekhmet who at that time was perhaps as old as you was successful in turning her into a Valar. However, what Sekhmet was unsuccessful in was predicting what Celest would do after her awakening. She… was… furious. As soon as she felt the dryness and sudden urge for liquid in the back of her new immortal throat she realized what she had become.

The Lanteans considered the Valar to be unworthy demons; only shadows of the people that they once were and would now haunt those that would come after.

Sekhmet tried to calm her but destiny would not have it. In her rage, Celest destroyed nearly the entire part of the forest that she and Sekhmet inhabited. She did not do this with her newfound strength or agility. She did so with her mind. A Lantean turned into a vampire is a mixture for something very, very, very powerful and promising. Sekhmet did all in her power to calm Celest and gave her apologies a thousand times over during Celest's tantrum. Celest was able to make trees explode with her mere thoughts and rage. She was able to cause a tremor in the earth, and caused boulders to take off like rockets into the distance causing unseen damage.

In the end, Celest collapsed to the ground with Sekhmet's arms already awaiting her. Of course, there was something else. There was a sorrow in Celest that Sekhmet never realized existed. You see, Celest wanted to die. There was nothing left for her here on this green earth, and she waited for swift wings to carry her off towards death. But these plans were shattered when Sekhmet rescued her.

This sorrow must have been great. I cannot recall what it truly was about. You would find her on the edge of a cliff overseeing the ocean and marveling at the sun set with an expressionless emotion on her face. I do not believe she even comprehended that you were there when she did this. There were times when I stood there for minutes, and even hours without her notice. Not even words could bring her out the trance she entered. It was… strange and eerie.

When you followed the direction of her glance you could determine that she was not actually staring at the sun or the ocean, or the skies. She was staring at something else, something that we cannot see. She looked beyond all the physical in order to see something beyond the stars. It was as if though… she was searching. There was something that had gone missing a long time ago that she lost and was trying to find again.

Eventually she would take notice of you and ask how long you had been there. She looked so innocent then, and honestly believed you had just arrived even though you had stood there for hours."

I absorbed everything Bella told me and flattened it all out in my mind so I could dissect it later and perhaps find something that I could not hear or detect now.

"Let us skip ahead. Celest was with Sekhmet for a few centuries. Under regular circumstances it would have been Sekhmet teaching Celest but in that relationship the tables were turned. Celest possessed the knowledge of her forefathers. The knowledge consisted of the secrets that belonged to the earth. It was wisdom beyond the years of any civilization of that time. The knowledge my people had about our planet, nature, the spirits, and even the meaning of life still surpassed that what is known today.

Sekhmet and Celest were happy together. They became quite good friends, even sisters so to speak. Sekhmet only ever had one topic herself that sparked an interest for Celest when it came to academics. Sekhmet told Celest about a secret city hidden beneath the darkest jungles and vines of Africa. There was a metropolis deep within the jungle that was home to Valar and human alike. It was the city in which many vampires had ascended from.

Elysium, the great vampire metropolis."

I took a hesitant step towards Bella with my mind spiraling out of control. She knew things, things that no other living creature knows. Elysium? She had used the term before. What was it? Back then she had said something about crossing the planes of Elysium when we were in the forest that one night. We had a city? Vampires had actually build a city for themselves? Well… what the hell happened then?

"Celest became somewhat obsessed with finding the diamond city in the emerald forest. Sekhmet herself wished to further explore the earth and leave the African continent behind for the time being. Celest however saw in ascension a way to shed herself of immortality and the curse of the Valar in order to sail across the stars to reach the white shores that even us Lanteans spoke of.

Torn between the decisions Sekhmet and Celest finally agreed to part and go their separate ways. Neither of them knew that next they'd meet Sekhmet would try to kill Celest; only because of Athena.

Celest began the journey and ventured deep into the wilderness in order to find the city. She said she traveled for many days and nights following the scents of her kind in order to find it. It was quite simple back then to find the city if one would only follow the scents of others and indeed, Celest found Elysium. She said that when she laid her eyes upon the city for the first time she felt a spark in her. It was like something came alive. She said that it felt right to be there or like some other higher power was trying to commune to her that she was on the right path.

Celest and I for that matter too were amazed at this grand city. It was a place in which humans and Valar lived in peace. Humans did not fear us then but rather rejoiced in our presence and… Ah.. no. The tale of Elysium should not be told now.

Know only that Celest spent two thousand years in the city and journeyed along the path of enlightenment before she departed."

Elysium was a place in which humans and vampires coexisted peacefully? Without one ounce of doubt in my mind I was sure that the second vision I had seen was actually of Elysium. I had seen humans and vampires talking and laughing together. It seemed like a prosperous place that was not ruled by politics, money or fear. But… if all these memories had been accurate before then… that face of fire in the sky?

"Celest was now a truly powerful vampire. She was recognized by many of her kind as a just warrior. It had been four thousand years since she was turned into a vampire. Her special abilities that she carried over from her Lantean life granted her even more might. It was around this time that a legend was formed. Nobody can say for sure what happened since no one lives' who can recall the specifications.

But right around the time Celest departed Elysium something strange happened. You see, the world then was ruled by numerous earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tidal waves, hurricanes, twisters, and many more natural catastrophes. Many of us thought it was Ragnarok. Yet, one day when it seemed worse than any other day the dark clouds suddenly departed and the sun came out. The earthquakes, and twisters disappeared and the world returned to its normal state.

I cannot say for sure what happened only that there was something dangerous lurking on the horizons. It was something that could have jeopardized the fate of all. When I heard this, I also heard that it was Celest and seven other vampires that stopped whatever it was that caused the earth to go wild. That supposedly a courtship was formed, the courtship of the vampire lords, and that Celest was one of them."

This tale became stranger and stranger by the minute. Bella discussing these strange climate changes and natural activities somehow caused me great concern. Her words frightened me but it wasn't my fear that did this to me. What a strange title indeed; vampire lord. What in the world is a vampire lord?

"After the strange natural turbulences that indeed happened all around the globe ended the world became quiet for awhile. Celest and I too found this new silence to be quite comforting. It was around that time however that she decided to distance herself from all those around her. She began shutting out all those that knew her. I myself was convicted to that fate. It was difficult speaking to her then. She avoided relationships and severed many ties she had build over the course of her millennium long life.

What I do know is that after those events transpired Celest became obsessed with ascension. I had talked to her once after the earth became normal again and then no more. It was as if she had vanished from the face of creation. I did not hear from her for two hundred years. However fate was merciful enough for me to uncover the reason to why she had been missing.

It appeared as if though Celest had isolated herself from the rest of existence. She spent two centuries in an abandoned underwater cave in complete isolation. What she did during that time you wonder I am sure? She used the allotted time solely for deep and concentrated mediation in order to prepare herself for ascension. She is the only vampire to have ever spent that great a time in isolation for her meditating. Others have done so too but then only for about a decade or perhaps a little longer. She was very disciplined."

Jesus. Two hundred years beneath the ocean water without any food? Bella said Celest had isolated herself from everyone so it was very likely that during her time underwater she never once even left the cave. Yet, Bella said that she felt no hunger. Perhaps Celest had also reached that by me coveted stage of no longer experiencing the bloodlust?

"How come you have no need for hunting?" Thinking about Celest's isolation and Bella's statement about not drinking blood caused the thought of why to reinvade my mind. Bella shrugged her shoulders.

"After a certain while the lust for blood no longer bothers you. After so many years of feeding on it your venom reaches a stage of purity in which it no longer requires the nutrients from blood in order to sustain itself and the vampire it inhabits. However, the occasional taste will reinvent your pallet and does refresh, and clear your thoughts. I myself had my last drop in 1893. I have been free of the lust since Nero's day but like I said, the occasional drop does produce some pleasure."

I gasped and shook my head disgusted.

"If you have been free of the blood frenzy for two thousand years then why would you…? I mean if you can live without taking life, any life, then why would you choose to do so?"

Bella put her fist in front of her mouth and giggled. I snorted agitated. Why was it that nearly everything I said enraged or amused her? This was totally serious.

"Vampires themselves have no need to feed at all too. We can live without the need of taking life. However, after awhile it does become awkward to not take in any sustenance. But the blood of evil doers is always so tantalizing that I could hardly stop myself when the man approached me.

I was in London back then, and was walking along an alley near the Whitechapel district. He approached me from behind and tried to be inconspicuous. His scent had hit me earlier that evening and it was lovely. It reeked of evil, cruelty, and blood lust. It was his own mistake for grabbing me inappropriately. He whispered low and dark words into my ear attempting to frighten me and come off as vicious. He sealed his own demise.

It was only a few years later that I clued the pieces together and identified my attacker. I believe he went by the name of "Jack the Ripper"."

Perhaps then Bella's murder one century ago was not a bad one at all. They never did find the killer of the Whitechapel murders. Okay wait… wait Edward I thought to myself. Think about what she just said. Bella killed Jack the Ripper who was never captured and basically never returned after his last murder. Bella indeed left her mark on history then too.

Yeah well… okay, whatever, I guess I'll think about that again later. I was thirsting to hear more about Celest anyway.

"So… when she emerged after two hundred years beneath the ocean what happened?"

Bella shrugged her shoulders again.

"Not much. Time went on like it always does and humans began to evolve technologically while the Valar always stayed several steps ahead of them. Eventually Athena confronted Sekhmet who at the time was the second oldest vampire in existence and turned her to her side with the "touch of death". Sekhmet, remembering Celest, wanted her to become a lieutenant in her army after betraying Athena. Celest refused and Sekhmet attempted to murder her. Celest escaped. After that the wars began

Then, over four thousand years of darkness, and after that Celest eventually brought down Sekhmet and destroyed her. After that, she disappeared. The end."

Oh hell no! She was not doing this to me after getting me all hooked. Bella's words were like a drug that you simply couldn't get enough of.

"The end? What do you mean the end? No details at all? No legendary war stories of how Celest and you for that matter fought? There are no stories of other heroic vampires? No details on the fight between Sekhmet and Athena or Celest and Sekhmet? What happened to Athena?"

Bella shrugged her shoulders and sounded "I don't know" with a hum.

"I can only tell you one thing. Celest… she was my dearest friend. She was the only person that understood my pain, and my sorrow. She was heroic, and a powerful and wise vampire. The loss of her affected the people who knew her greatly, those that she still allowed to know her anyway. Even the trees became lonely when the last Lantean with the ability to speak to them was lost.

I have not seen her nor heard from her since the wars ended, so nearly four thousand years ago. I followed many whispers and tales of how some vampires supposedly saw her passing through the shades of a tree. There were stories of her death, stories that she ascended, and of course stories that she still walks amongst us unseen.

I have searched for her for a very, very long time. When she left it was like losing a part of me. I was so alone, and am still alone. I wish I could find her again, and then perhaps I could once more become who I used to be."

I narrowed my eyes suspiciously at Bella.

"What do you mean... used to be? How does Celest affect your ability to be anything but who you are?"

Bella mimicked my notion but putting a little disgust and surprise in the mix of her narrowed eyes.

"Have you never lost someone that caused your entire world to shift completely out of balance? Someone that was so important to you that life without them would seem unbearable? Please Edward, I have seen humans whom this has happened to and who are very informative on this as well. You cannot possibly tell me that you have never entertained such a state in which you would lose your father or one of your siblings and the emotions that would follow."

I guess I… I never really did. Was I so hollow? Why didn't I think before I asked questions? It seemed so obvious now. Of course certain people drastically change when they lose someone they love. Yet, I didn't want o consider the possibility of losing Carlisle, Alice, Esme or anyone else for that matter. I heard Bella sigh, she turned around and began to walk away.

"W-wait! What about your story? What about you?"

I guess while listening to the story of Celest I nearly forgot to ask Bella about herself. How did she survive the catastrophe that ended her people? Who was it that turned her? Who was she in general? Bella kept on walking slowly with me intently behind her.

"What about me? There is nothing to tell. I am not interesting enough to have some sort of heroic tale. If you look into my past you will see nothing but failure, sorrow, longing, and plain pity. I am nothing but the shadow of what I once was and will never be again. You should not ask question concerning me. There truly is nothing of interest."

"Don't say that! Everybody is important regardless of name, gender, and identity. We all have some sort of mission and reason for being here and so do you."

Bella whipped around and faced me head on so that her nose was millimeters away from touching my lips. I looked into the depth of redness covering her eyes and felt the sensation of being hypnotized. Suddenly I felt an icy touch on my face and saw Bella's fingers cradling my face. The fingers of her right hand touched one side of my cheek while her thumb covered the other. Suddenly she pressed down hard squeezing my cheeks and pulled my face down so our eyes were on the same level.

"Prove it."

* * *

(Authors Note) - Well thats it for another chapter. Sorry to have updated so late but last week real life unfortunately called. For those that have been wondering, yes, of course, Bella and Edward will find their way into each others arms but it will still be awhile. We have to form their relationship first. For example, in the next chapters Edward will reintroduce Bella to humanity from which she has distanced herself from. We will also hear more war stories and more information about the legend concernting the vampire lords. Also, some strange events will start to transpire in Seattle.

Thanks for reading, **PLEASE REVIEW**. Can't wait to see 600 :-)!

P.S Sorry for the bore with yet another history lesson however the character of Celest will be important!


	26. Chapter 25

High School

This was indeed a good idea. I had been nullified of good ideas lately so I was glad to have finally received one. Bella was constantly shrouded in mystery and shadows that not even the most radiant light could hope to penetrate. There was an aura surrounding her that held an emotion that was not of this world, and that no words could give justice to. So it was a good idea to finally begin to write down everything I knew and wanted to know about her.

After yesterday I began to think a little more critically and made it my sole mission to uncover all that there was when it came to her. Being kept in the dark for too long does things to you. It makes you become obsessed. For the first time since the dawn of my life began I felt myself thirsting not for blood but for all the answers and keys that would unlock the seal that shut away Bella's secrets.

The throbbing numbness in my cheeks and mouth finally passed away a few hours ago after Bella had squashed them. She seemed so intense and unfaithful to the fact that for everything was a place, and a reason. She dared me to prove usefulness for her existence but how could I do this without even knowing who she is?

She only had taken hold of me for a few moments before departing into the forest and once more leaving me dumbstruck. Though her ways seemed so ancient, and antique I did feel a sort of grace vibrating from them. Bella always looked so beautiful, a beauty that I had never seen on another woman before. There was something calling me, a siren perhaps, something that drew me to her. It was as if she was a newborn universe and her own sun, and I the lonely planet had no choice but to orbit her light.

After I got back home myself I was glad to see the dim lights of the candles from underneath the door to her room. I could smell the burning wax but was still inquiring to know why she needed them. A few hours had to pass before I finally understood why Bella would want the candles. She said that those that walk the path of enlightenment must prepare body and mind for the day when they ascend, and therefore great concentration in a deep state of meditation is needed. A plethora of people light candles when they mediate so it was just to think that she did the same; puzzle solved.

But it was such a small puzzle, and it was so easy to configure its pieces once I knew where they had to go.

I took one of the small blank books with a black wrap that I had bought in order to continue my own story in its pages; a journal. Bella's story was far more important than my own and far more mystifying so this would be very appropriate. I had started to write once I returned from my hunting trip yesterday and wrote very slowly. I wanted to make sure that I could get every detail, every word, and every action belonging to Bella recorded in it. I wrote about the visions too, and all that I saw. The visions of Bella in what must have been her home of Atlantis on the continent Mu, the visions of the city in which vampires and humans associated with each other peacefully, and everything else I noted on. I also felt it to be prudent to write about the apparition I continuously saw, and of course the surge within me that had the capability to manipulate me. I began to think and strongly believe that it was this… this…THING that caused all of this.

I wrote down everything I knew in these pages concerning Bella. I wrote about her strength, speed, abilities like causing fires and telekinesis, and especially the fight with the Moriatus deserved ten pages of detail. Everything about Atlantis, Celest, ascension, the Lanteans, legends, the wars, Sekhmet, Athena, and all else I spent the last thirteen hours writing about.

There was still so much hidden behind doors I couldn't possibly hope to open. Bella was the only one with a master key.

I sat at my desk nodding to myself when I began to think of the strategies to get all of this information. I needed a new tactic. I had been in the dark for far too long and my methods were too slow and careful. I had to be more blunt, forward, and forcing. What's the worst thing she could do to me? Kill me? Say "go away"?

There was an intermittent rumble in the ground and Jasper walked through my door. Consumed in my work I hadn't even noticed his earlier approach. Trying to be inconspicuous I casually covered the book with my hands.

"Are you almost ready to go?"

Ugh. I had forgotten throughout all my studies that we were going back to school today. We had been out of the loop for awhile. Actually, since Bella arrived.

"Yeah," I answered unexcited. I closed my book of questions and Jasper noticed.

"What's that?" I shrugged my shoulders bored.

"Nothing of interest. I was just taking some notes."

Jaspers eyes narrowed with a hint of suspicion rising across them.

"The book is about her isn't it?" Jasper was good. I didn't answer him but instead just put the book in the drawer of my desk where it would lie quietly until I was ready for it again.

"You can't deny it Edward. I have been sensing the changes in you. I can always tell when something concerns Bella. You're emotions go ballistic. They are an endless jungle of toiling emotions. Even though sometimes… uh.. never mind."

Now he caught my attention. How ignorant of me. Why haven't I thought of it before? I was unable for the past few weeks to explain these strange feelings that ran through me like raging rivers. Yet, there was someone here who by all matter was an expert when it came to emotions. So Jasper did feel something strange in my flow of feelings then? Or perhaps he was going to say something completely different? Either way, it helped me uncover the potential he held for me.

"Jasper? May I ask you something rather peculiar? It will sound strange but I would appreciate it if you could just answer honestly. Alright?"

Jasper pouted his lip and nodded. He was curious as always, especially now since I went so formal about my question.

"What sort of reading do you get from me sometimes? And I'm looking for nothing really in particular but does it to you sometimes seem like I'm not all there? I mean, do you at times feel emotions emanating from me that elude you?"

"Yes." My eyebrows jumped up surprised at Jaspers swift response. "Around Bella they have been… rather strange…" Bella then. Yes… I felt what I did mostly around her.

"Do you mind explaining strange?" Jasper took a step closer and crossed his arms over his chest. He took a seat on my desk. This meant only one thing, whatever it was, it was complex and he would be taking his time explaining it to me.

"Emotions are delicate, very delicate. There are so many different variations of emotions like there is sand on the beach. Some emotions are very, very powerful while others lack any sort of force. From you my brother I have never felt anything but sheer boredom, the occasional excitement, and that would about sum it up. Yet, for these past few weeks I have been feeling some other things that devastate my powers. I have discussed it with Alice but her sight was blind.

You see Edward I have already noticed your favor and infatuation with Bella so there is no denying that. I felt your feelings heighten in range and the sparks when we first met her. Slowly I felt them grow like a tree and blossom with fruits of newfound passion and desire.

However, there is something… something I have yet no real words for. At times it seems as if though what I feel from you does not belong to you. Yet, I have only ever felt this when you are around Bella. She seems to be the trigger.

The times when you pass by her door or just stand in her presence I feel this wave of… of an undying love older and more powerful than anything else I have ever felt in my life. The emotions do not match or suite you. I sense a remarkable amount of love like I have never felt before. The love I hold for Alice seems so small compared to it. This emotions, this love, it has held this feeling for a very long time. I'm not sure how to explain it.

I do know however that those emotions are not emotions that come from a vampire. Humans also do not feel in such a manner. Sometimes it frightens me when I sense it. It feels… otherworldly. In addition, love is not the only thing I feel. Oh on. There is one emotion that completely overshadows love. Oh yes. Grief.

It hurts me every time I feel it, like daggers stabbing my insides. It is simply this uncomfortable feeling of sorrow, and despair. Sometimes I soak in it and cannot even hinder myself from feeling it. It is so strong that I sense it naturally. Whenever it hits me I feel like falling to the ground and sobbing. I have no idea what caused such a state of terror, and pain. But whatever it was that sprung that emotion to be born must have been an act of indescribable and unexplainable sorrow.

I know that these emotions are not yours Edward. Now, please don't laugh but sometimes I feel like there is someone or something else inside of you responsible for these feelings. It's like I can almost sense it, this other thing…

Well… to give you a final evaluation I would say that whatever it is that I feel has very powerful feelings for Bella. I mean, really… It is nothing I have ever felt before. The love between Carlisle and Esme, Rosalie and Emmett and even between Alice and me cannot compare to that warm emotion that is always directed towards Bella. The grief as well… Whatever it is seems to be in love but also in a very dark place of tears."

Huh… Thank you Jasper I thought relieved. I was so glad to know that I was not insane. So my emotions were filled with truth rather than delusion. What I have been sensing and feeling within myself was accurate. Jasper had put it in words perfectly. Something that was in love yet held a great deal of pain. I closed my eyes and recalled the vision of that apparition. I shook my head and immediately opened my eyes again. Nonsense I thought. There has to be another logical explanation for all of this.

"Do you have any answers to why you feel these emotions?" Jaspers glance was piercing. It was like he was trying to bore a hole in my head. I couldn't tell him about _that. _I wouldn't tell anybody about it except for maybe… well just maybe Bella. She has been around for a while so perhaps she knew something about it. The chance that I'm not the only vampire going through this was a persistent idea in my mind.

"Honestly? No. All I know is that at times it is overwhelming. It feels like it wants to take a complete hold over me."

"Well… let me play devil's advocate here for a second and say let it. Perhaps if it takes a hold over you, you may uncover its secrets."

I shook my head disagreeing. "No. Who knows if I'll be able to come back?" Jasper snorted.

"What are we talking about her Edward? Simple emotions that are indeed strong but emotions nonetheless."

"I don't know. I still have to think about it. There is much to consider. Talking about it only drives me insane anyway."

Jasper sighed defeated. Though I couldn't read his mind anymore I knew when he did this he would drop and leave it be. I decided to change the subject.

"Are you coming to school with us today?"

It had been an ongoing debate whether or not Jasper should go. Bella advised that if we wished to remain hidden and in secret that Jasper should stay as far away from humanity as possible for the time being. Apparently his thirst is at a point right now in which it could completely overtake his mind. I myself saw this theory to be true.

Jasper had gone hunting two days ago in the early hours. Alice reported that he had devoured six elk, and four mountain lions. Carlisle and everyone else was utterly shocked by his sudden hunger. We theorized that Jasper's body had been introduced to venom much older than any other, and that his systems would need time to adjust to its needs. Bella was no help on this either. She had remained in her room and offered none of her knowledge about this even though I knew she possessed it.

"I don't think so. I think I will heed Bella's advice and remain here for now. I'm not sure why I seem totally convinced on everything she has said but I just have this feeling to trust in all of her words. Call it intuition."

Downstairs I could hear the front door open as Rosalie and Emmett already stepped outside. I thought it better too for him to stay here for now. We had no idea what sort of effects Bella's venom will have within him. We already learned about certain aspects such as strength, and more speed but everything else remained clouded. Jasper has not even used his power yet. He was afraid of what it was capable off.

I rose from my chair and got my books together. I could vaguely remember my curriculum for today but I would manage.

"Well… I better let you go. I think I'll go hunt some more. It seems though blood is all I can think about lately. Try to have a pleasant day Edward."

I acknowledged him with a nod and smiled crookedly.

"Thanks."

Jasper smiled and turned away to walk back down the hall.

"_Beyond the stars horizons wait… through shadows and the cold abyss…_

_Forsaken in the dark we were… far away… from white shores…"_

Slowly, and shocked my head raised to stare after Jasper peacefully gliding down the hall. He was singing the song… He was singing her song. How on earth…? Well, yes, I did tell them about it but why would he feel the need to sound it out?

No, oh no. I think I just proved one of Carlisle's suspicions. I don't think that Bella's venom delivered only strength, and speed. Was Jasper doing this knowingly… or not? Venenum Memoria.

I flung my backpack behind my shoulder and headed down the hall shaking my head. I slipped by the small hall leading down to Bella's room. With the morning rays of the sun glistening beautifully over the morning dew of the leaves and illuminating the house the light of candles beneath her door had faded. She was in the room again. I sincerely hoped that she would not vanish in the eight hours I would be at that purgatory.

I hopped down the stairs quickly and caught a glimpse of Carlisle and Esme sitting together on the couch in the living room. Esme was beaming with excitement over a new Victorian house she was asked to remodel. It will be another subject of filth and decay that she would transform into a vision of delight for its new owners and it would also mean another picture for her album of her grandest works. Carlisle listened to her smiling over her pleasure.

"I will see you later." Esme and Carlisle glanced in my direction for but a second smiling and mimicking my response.

I closed the door behind me and found my Volvo already parked in the driveway. I had played with the idea of taking it to Seattle to get fixed but I simply couldn't bring myself to do it. The cracks in the window on the passenger side were far too big of a reminder towards Bella and the first night we actually had a full conversation.

It also reminded me of that kiss. I brushed my fingers across my cheek where she had once pressed her delicate lips against and wished to fully remember the sensation of it. I had been so preoccupied then by the situation at hand and with the Moriatus that I had barely even noticed her lovely gesture. I did recall a tingle in my stomach. It was a strange feeling. It almost felt like a spark that rebooted my insides and heart. Such a foreign emotion I had never experienced before.

As I got closer to the car I could see Emmett, Rosalie, and Alice sitting in the back of the car. Rosalie and Emmett were chatting about Rosalie's new wardrobe. Emmett would have to play judge all day once we'd get back. Alice on the other hand didn't think of anything in particular. All I could see in the tenor of her thoughts was what she was currently seeing through her eyes. She was hiding something, she had been hiding something.

I opened the car door and found the large crack sprawled across the window but instead of irritation I found amusement in it. I settled myself in the seat and closed the door when from the corner of my eye something caught my attention.

I lightly jumped when I noticed that there was another passenger. Now I knew why I they chose to sit in the back.

"Wha…What are you doing?"

Bella looked at me with her face held up high and wiggling her middle finger around her thumb impatiently.

"Sitting."

I sighed annoyed. Alice giggled in the back and continued to glance out of the window.

"No really. What is it that you're doing here?"

A small smile rolled its way onto Bella's lips. She exhaled noticeably and began to count off.

"Breathing, smelling, tasting, thinking…"

"OH COME ON! Enough with this sarcasm." Emmett's chest rumbled with small laughter. Rosalie too seemed bemused with my annoyance.

"She is coming to school with us." Alice's voice sounded from the back confirming my suspicion. My eye twitched confounded. Why on earth would she decide to do THAT?

"Might I inquire to know why?" Bella's smile faded and was replaced by a blank yet curious stare.

"You're reverence for mortal intrigues me. I would very much like to know what it is that lures you into such a life."

Even though I was delighted by the fact that I would be spending the way with her I had to protest. The voice of reason within me that shouted in protest however was very quiet and being ignored by everything else. Perhaps being around her would give me the chance to ask more questions. Still, how would it work with Bella accompanying us?

"Well… what did you tell the school?" I turned around to face Alice. She had already stated the obvious so it must have been her who made the arrangements. With her mind closed and completely sealed off she looked at me timidly.

"Carlisle called and said that Bella is Esme's little sister. She is visiting all the way from New York and will be staying with us for awhile. We told them that she would only come with us for a few days since she was considering moving here she thought to check out the school. OH! That reminds me."

Alice reached into her pink school bag and fished out a pair of black sunglasses. She held them out in her hand around the seat and to Bella. Alice smiled.

"Prescription." I coughed confused.

"Wouldn't contact lenses be more prudent?" Alice shook her head.

"In a vision I saw myself suggesting the same thing to Bella but she in turn confided in me that contact lenses would almost instantly be dissolved by the venom in her eyes. Their lifespan would only be about five minutes. So I had to tell the school that Bella has very sensitive eyes that can't deal with light very well. It was lame but they bought it."

Bella took the glasses out Alice's hands and made a face. I started the car. "What?"

Bella wore the sunglasses which now and in addition with her outfit made her look like some famous Hollywood star. She still wore the same clothing with the exception of her coat. Her clothes weren't dirty so there was no need to change them and unlike human's vampires have no need to take showers hence we have lost the ability to develop foul body odors; as ridiculous as that sounds…

She shrugged her shoulders at my question and only whispered.

"All this subterfuge."

I pressed down on the gas and started to nudge out of the driveway.

"Well what do you expect? If we want to coexist with humans we have to make them believe that we are human."

"Pardon me," Bella held her index finger up, "I never expressed that I wish to _coexist _with humans. Today, and today alone I will associate with them. If I can avoid it I will do that as well."

"Yeah well," I pulled out on the open road and countered Bella's argument, "that just brings us to the harsh reality of our next issue. How on earth do you plan on associating with them if at all? Don't you think your speech and philosophies might attract too much attention?"

"Tsk, oh please wee one. I am the mother of all liars. I am positive I can fake my way through it. Acting like you _yanks _will not be very difficult. All I need to do is be foul mouthed, over bearing, and insolent."

I shook my head at her insult. "You know you are one of the most arrogant peop… vampires I have ever met. Mother of liars… yeah I'm sure. You're not my mother."

"Well I could be, World War I was such a blur."

I heaved in a great amount of air trying to clear my head of all this agitation. I hadn't even noticed that the speedometer had gone all the way to 120 mph. The air did bring some reason with it and I tried to talk to her calmly again.

"Well please just make sure that you won't do anything that could jeopardize our existence here."

"So spreading terror and panic is out?"

"YES, I'm afraid so." Though I couldn't see her eyes anymore I did still notice her eyebrows rising above the blackness of her glasses.

We pulled around the corner and I already saw the school in the distance. We were arriving right smack in the middle of all the traffic. I had hoped to get here later so most of the students would already be in their classes but with her agitating me my feet developed a mind of their own and almost put the gas pedal through the bottom of the car.

I pulled into the parking lot and already saw a lot of faces shifting their eyes onto us. After already spending three years here I would have thought they'd all lose interest but unfortunately it was still intact.

I parked and settled the car next to some old beat up Chevy and turned off the engine. I sat there for a second before returning my attention to Bella. When I saw her face I wanted to roll around on the ground laughing.

Her mouth was semi open with a really appalled like aura around it. Her eyebrows were arched like she regretted her decision in coming. I never even heard her asking if she could come. Alice must have foresaw her decision and set everything up.

"This should be… illuminating. I have not spoken with a human in nearly a thousand years."

"A thousand years?" Emmett's voice roared from the back. "Why not?"

"I had nothing to say."

Alice plopped up from the back and patted Bella's shoulder. "It's not as bad as it looks. It can be a lot of fun actually, once you get past the cheerleaders, jocks, and plain out weirdoes."

Bella turned her head to look at Alice's face with a crooked smile on her red lips.

"It could not be as much fun as Nero's day." With that deluding line said Bella stepped out of the car and into mortality. All of us quickly followed her notion, especially me. I was afraid that her presence still could cause suspicion.

I rounded the car and stepped next to Bella's side. I watched her closely and tried to hold back chuckles as I saw her face being painted with terror. She watched some of the cheerleaders in their jackets practicing a few new routines. There were some football players in the far corner of the parking lot belching and laughing hysterically.

"Oh heathen gods of old invoke your strength within me, for this servant will now enter… hell."

Bella turned to face me, her eyebrows arched nervously.

"How can you endure such torment every single day?"

It was my turn to shrug my shoulders.

"You get used to it."

Rosalie and Emmett quickly passed us arm in arm heading of to their first morning classes. Emmett threw me a mental _good luck _before disappearing within the mob. Why was he wishing me good luck please? Oh no… no. Alice patted my back.

"Well… good luck. She's all yours Ed!"

"WAIT A MINUTE! You're the one that signed her up for all of this so why don't you take her?" I was having another internal conflict. A gigantic part of me absolutely loved the fact that I would be spending the day with Bella while another dreaded the idea of having to put up with all the sarcasm and arrogance all day long.

Alice smiled blinking her eyes slowly. _You're the one in love._

Alice danced away off to the main entry building leaving me with my mouth hanging down to the ground. Jasper has such a big mouth. I faced Bella again. Her arms were crossed over her stomach and she was waiting; simply looking at her erupted my own feelings to swarm inside of me again. I felt this wholeness flowing around in my chest and consuming my heart. There was warmth I had never felt until I was blessed with her presence. There had never been a woman on earth whose beauty ensnared me like hers.

"Shall we go?" I squeaked the words like a mouse while still being consumed by her gorgeous face. A full smile slowly pulled her lips up revealing tiny dimples.

"Yes."

I took a deep breath and began gliding forward. As soon as my second step was complete I heard Bella clearing her throat. I looked back at her thinking "what now"? She put her hands on her hips and took two steps of her own while gazing at her feet.

"In your memory I saw that you proclaim yourself to be a gentleman, no?"

Carefully I uttered, "Yes," wondering where she was going with this.

"Well then, offer your arm to a lady Edward." Bella's lips smiled mockingly. She cocked her head lightly to the side awaiting my response.

I wanted this but was it good for the image here? Esme's supposed little sister arm in arm with me? _Oh who cares,_ an inner voice yelled at me. I agreed.

I held out and offered my arm to Bella. Since I was technically going to be her escort for the day I should be doing this the right way anyway.

Bella enveloped her arm with mine and smiled at me brilliantly. She was enjoying this far too much I thought suspiciously. My breathing started to increase. I could feel the venom inside of me pumping ferociously through my veins and organs. Her icy touch was so foreign yet so familiar, and made me quiver. I wondered what we looked like together.

We began to walk and advance through the crowds of teenagers who all turned their heads to stare at us. My prayer had been answered. Through the minds of many students I saw myself with a smug smile and a beautiful goddess at my side gracing peacefully next to me.

We looked like some infamous couple exposed all over the television. I liked it.

Continuing my gentlemanly manners I held the door open for Bella and the office lay right across from the entrance. I went up to the secretary who was elderly and held herself some inappropriate thoughts at times when I approached her.

"Good Morning. I believe my father called you this morning and clarified the arrival of a guest that will be sharing my classes today."

With her index finger she repositioned her glasses and immediately went through her files for the information. I noticed Bella gawking around the room and looking at the pictures of past honor students hanging on the white walls. She observed the principal scolding another student in his office about spraying some graffiti which made her chuckle.

"Ah, here we go. Bella Platt is it?" Hmm. Carlisle decided to give Bella Esme's maiden name. It suited her. The secretary looked at Bella for a confirmation. I saw Bella's eyebrows rise over her glasses and I became nervous.

"Excuse me?" Mrs. Cope revisited her notes and checked the name again. Now doubt infested her mind too.

"Is that name incorrect dear?" Bella snorted.

"Well for starters mortal, I am the…" swiftly my arm circled around Bella and my hand landed on top of her mouth.

"YES. It is correct. Please excuse her."

Though my hand was on her mouth Bella continued to talk. Her muffled sentences became angry. I'm sure I was going to laugh about this someday.

"Oh, are you sure Edward?" The old woman looked from me to Bella and began to worry about my "harsh" touch.

"Yes. It is quite sad… you know… Tourette's Syndrome is a terrible, terrible thing."

Oh God Edward, Tourette's Syndrome? It might actually end up being a half way decent excuse. If Bella would continue to speak like she was just attempting Tourette's if they'll know what it is could be a justified illness to explain her demeanor.

Mrs. Cope covered her mouth with her aging hand shocked.

_Oh my, so young and pretty and then something like that. _

Good. This was the response I was hoping for.

"Well, if you'll excuse us but we have to be getting to class. May I please have an extended note for my teachers to let them know about Bella?"

They already had one. Her thoughts revealed that the teachers were already told about her. Very well, without waiting for a response from her I quickly existed the door while gently nudging Bella forward; her mouth was free again and I was frightened.

"You can't talk to them like that," I whispered into her ear.

"You could have informed me about my strange name."

"It's not strange. It was Esme's maiden name."

We walked down the hall rather quickly. My fingers were slightly resting on Bella's back pushing her forward. Luckily, most of everyone had already proceeded to their classes so I wouldn't have to worry about anything until I got to my class. It would be biology first, and then world history.

World history… Oh jeez… I'm sure Bella will have something to say.

I walked into the classroom allowing Bella to enter before me. As soon as we entered the room twenty sets of eyes began to stare us down. A lot of them thought that Bella was another Cullen, mostly the male portion of the class. But the girls had suspicions that Bella might be my… girlfriend. I couldn't deny that them thinking this offended me. I swiftly walked up to Mr. Banner.

"Mr. Banner," he was going through some study plans before we came in. "I presume Mrs. Cope told you about your guest today?"

Mr. Banner examined Bella and I was glad to find no dirty thoughts in his mind unlike other individuals in the room who shall remain nameless. Bella was just another student to him.

"Oh, yes. Well then, she can have the empty seat next to you. Bella is it?" Mr. Banner looked at Bella but she wasn't paying attention to him. I stalked her sight to the back of the room and saw the shelves with several glass jars and dead animals in them. Most of them were insects, some fish, a miscarried baby pig, and a few others.

"Barbaric…" Bella's words were very quite. Nobody else besides me heard her. This was going to be a very long day I thought weakly.

"Yes it is, Bella Platt." I answered Mr. Banner's question for him. He smiled pleased.

"Well then, please make sure you are quiet during class and don't disturb anybody."

"We'll do." I fervently hoped that I could keep that promise. Bella and I walked to the very back of the class and I was so glad that nobody had decided to sit next to me all this time. We took our seats while Bella still curiously looked around the room. She looked at the plants, aquarium with various colorful fish, microscopes, etc.

In front of us were Lauren, and Jessica Stanley. As soon as we were settled in our seats and I had my book and notepad out those two turned around with fake smiles on their lips.

"So Edward, who did you bring here today?" Lauren's smile was so ill favored that it made me sick. Her eyes were piercing Bella and staring her down.

"What's your name? I wasn't listening before?" Oh I'm sure. Both Lauren and Jessica looked to Bella for an answer but she was ogling around the room not paying attention to either of them neither.

"Hello?" Jessica asked annoyed. Bella suddenly looked at the both of them. The duo was glad to have finally caught her attention. Jessica was already drooling with envy over Bella's good looks.

"What's your name I asked," Lauren inquired rudely. Bella's eyebrows curved confused while her sunglasses still hid her eyes from me. She suddenly turned around and quickly glanced to her sides. Jessica and Laurent looked at each other confused as well.

Bella poked me with her elbow and leaned into me.

"Edward, is that mortal talking to ME?"

"YES!" I whispered back. Thankfully neither Jessica nor Lauren heard us. Bella then flashed an ostentatious smile at Lauren and Jessica.

"Yo!" Smooth Bella I thought embarrassed. Laurent fluttered her eyebrows repeatedly while shaking her head.

"WHATS. YOUR. NAME?" She spoke very slowly thinking that Bella herself was mentally lethargic.

I positioned my fingers at my temples beginning to rub them stressed. _Oh God, don't ask her any questions! _This day… would be a day worthy of remembrance.

"Hmm… interesting question. You see, I have many names," _oh god, oh god, oh god, oh god, please somebody strike me down now. _What is she going to say now? That woman is capable of anything!

I quietly and softly kicked Bella's leg trying to remind her of…

OH JESUS! Right after I kicked her Bella smashed her foot down on mine. My fingers pulled into a fist and I threw it up against my mouth heaving heavy breaths. My foot felt like it was going to explode with throbs.

"A-Are you alright Edward?" Lauren asked concerned.

"Yes, just a cramp." She nodded to herself and went back to observe Bella together with Jessica.

"So, for the last time girl, what is your name?"

"Bella." Why couldn't she have just said that from the beginning? If she had then perhaps I would still have some feeling in my foot!

"Where are you from?" Jessica was intrigued by Bella.

Bella looked to me bored.

"New York," I answered. That wasn't enough for Lauren. Her jealousy was rising. She believes that Bella and I are a couple.

"So what are you doing here?" Lauren asked rudely again.

Bella smiled. She sat up in her chair and stretched her arms. I began to worry again what she was about to unleash next. Suddenly she moved her chair closer to mine so that our legs were touching. I shuddered when I felt the chill pass through the cloth and tickle my leg.

"Well, there are many reasons. But I have to admit that the main one is that I couldn't bear to simply stay away anymore." Bella wrapped her hands around my arm and leaned her head against my shoulder smiling at me. She lifted her hand and gently pocked my nose with her index finger.

"It has been torture to be away from my Eddie-weddie." Oh Bella… I saw a new redness rising in Lauren's cheeks while she clenched her teeth together. She huffed and turned around to face the front of the class. Jessica wasn't as taken like her. Her blue eyes journeyed between me and Bella.

"Err… so how long have you been together?"

I couldn't believe what Bella was doing!

"Always." Jessica nodded to herself. I couldn't believe that I wasn't doing anything to stop this.

"Alright everyone please face the front and open your books to page 125. Today we'll be discussing the phylum Chordate."

Bella moved back to her own position and unwove her hands from my arm. I felt myself yearning for her arms to return. A new chill moved into me that had not originally come from her. Bella's smile and funny behavior faded and I saw the seriousness return to her face. I'm sure her eyes were shining with that red glow I had seen before.

But even for her this change of behavior was rather quick. She rubbed her hands together. Her head moved from child in the room to another observing them all. Mr. Banner began to speak about the animal phylum Chordate and the members belonging to the species.

"Are you having fun?" I whispered quietly.

She didn't answer me. What was wrong? Bella began to breathe a little heavier. She hugged herself and leaned forward on the table resting her head on her arms.

_You should not be here._

From all the mental voices in the room hers stood out the most. It was so seldom that I heard it. This sudden change in the atmosphere was strange indeed. One minute she was having a good time by making fun of humans and now…

"Why not?" No one could her but her.

_You are no longer human. There is no reason to live with them. Just look at them. They pretend to know something of our world when they know nothing. They have never heard the song of the green, the riddles of the water, or the stories of the mountain._

"What is it that diverts you from humanity so much?" What could have transpired for these thoughts to be born inside of her?"

_I… can… answer that… _

A new wintery chill flew down my spine when the next voice in my head wasn't Bella's. My vision suddenly became blurry. I blinked my eyes repeatedly even going as far as scratching them. This felt eerily familiar.

And so it was. A bright white flash appeared before my eyes. NOT AGAIN! What if someone notices. I felt a wave of comfort pass through me. There were the white clouds again, passing me, like I was falling through them.

The flash reappeared and brought before me a new scenario and another place in time. This was getting ridiculous. I had to forge an understanding out of all of this. I was half way convinced that it wasn't Bella doing all of this. I had my lingering doubts whether or not that strange human image of me didn't do this. But what else was there that could be responsible for all of this.

This vision was different from the last one. I lifted my hands and was actually able to control my body. I was also no longer sitting but standing in the middle of a field. It was somewhat dark in the sky.

What was the reason for all of this? It was almost like somebody or something is trying to communicate with me. Yet, I don't understand the message. I know that all the visions seem to revolve around Bella. Now that I think about it though… Every single time I wished for answers about Bella or clues I received a flashback such as this. Even only minutes ago when I wondered why she refrained from humanity so much.

_I can answer that _the voice in my head said. What I was seeing must have been memories of the past. There was no doubt about it. However, I felt that these memories did not belong to Bella. Of course she was involved and I'm sure she has memories of these events as well but I was not seeing them from her perspective. Who else was there?

In the distance I spotted a small group of people. The landscape seemed to reveal that I was possible up on a hill, maybe even on an edge of a cliff from the looks of it. I began to walk towards the small group of people. There were five of them. They were all dressed in blue robes. Different shades of blue as well, dark, lighter, navy, and aquamarine.

My entire attention became fixed on them for I knew that one of them was Bella. I don't know how to define it but I just knew.

I passed the two figures in the back first; vampires. They were both males. From what I could tell they must have been between twenty-two and twenty-four when they were turned. One of them had shaggy hazelnut like hair and bright red eyes. He had a straight nose and faint dimples on his cheeks. The other was perhaps 6'1 so only about half a head taller than the other. His hairstyle matched the others but his was blond. This male had a button nose and delicately curved lips. His eyes weren't as bright as the other vampires were.

I reached the three vampires in the front and I absolutely adored it when I proved myself to be correct. There, right in the middle stood Bella. I don't know what time and place this was but it couldn't have been long ago since her physical fairness and eye color seemed the same as now. She held her head lower than any of the others and had a blank expression on her face.

The two vampires next to her I recognized. One of them was dark skinned and I remembered him from the vision of the city that was being destroyed. He was the one that was trying to tear Bella away when she meant to join the vampire that was obliterated only seconds later. The other was a woman that I faintly recognized as well. She had long corn silk like hair that curved into locks at the tip of her hair. She looked very angelic with small thin lips and a perfectly shaped long nose.

After I examined their features I realized their mixed expressions. The two in the back looked very worried, sorrowful almost. The fair haired woman looked curious while the dark skinned man seemed angry. Bella on the other hand seemed to have to emotion on her face.

I turned around to see what they were staring at. There were several people gathered off in the distance. There were also three structures poised upward and wom… …

The breath in my throat got stuck like a rock too big to roll into a smaller hole. I felt a floodgate inside of me unleash into my veins showering me with untold amounts of emotions. My eyes and entire being begun to tremble as I watched one of the most horrific events in our history unfold before me, if not the most horrible of all.

Some of the people were screaming in what sounded like Jewish, Hebrew, and Italian.

This could not be… Bella you were…? Why are you just standing there? Why don't you do something? So many questions consumed me.

The horror that lay before me was undeniable the most horrendous thing I had ever witnessed. And they, the vampires are just standing there and are allowing it to happen? What would Carlisle say to this?

No.. no, no. I didn't want to see this, ever!

Now, there was another thing I knew about Bella, and that might even explain her deep seated hatred for humanity.

I… I was witnessing the crucifixion of Jesus Christ!

**(Authors Note) **- Sorry for the long dry spill but when real life calls you can do nothing but answer. Hopefully this chapter wasn't to boring but I wanted to bring out Bella's personality a little more too! By the way, I watched "Vampires Suck" yesterday and that was the stupidest movie in all of creation. I was actually a good sport when I heard about it you know, even wanting it to be funny. I'm sure a lot of twilight fans hated the idea of someone making fun of the franchise (only reason why they did it was because they wanted a piece of the gold) and even though I'm too am in love with Twilight I was actually looking forward to it being funny. Half way through the movie though I was so bored that I had to go do something else and then come back and hour or two later to watch the rest of it.


	27. Chapter 26

**Note: The religious views expressed in this chapter are not my own but were merely created to suit the characters. Thank you .**

Helios

Golgotha or the Place of the Skull it was called. It was the place in which Jesus Christ was mocked, wounded, and crucified by those he loved. This was an act that humanity regretted for many countless eons to come. I had read about this but never in my wildest fantasies had I dreamed that one day I would be experiencing it.

It was Midday. There were soldiers mocking him, people throwing rocks, and the two thieves that were crucified alongside him bad mouthed him. I could not see his true countenance since the distance was a bit vast but the scenery and structures alone told me that I was correct.

Was this it then? Was this the very event that triggered such hatred in Bella that would cause her to curse humans for all eternity? Did this mean though that she believed in his teachings? In God himself? What would Carlisle think or say if he were witnessing this? He would surely try to stop this illusion by all means necessary. There was nothing I could do. This wasn't real. It was only a dream, or a dream of a dream.

"We cannot allow such an atrocity to stand!"

The handsome dark skinned vampire spoke up first. His words were not in a tongue I could understand. I have heard enough of it to determine that it was the vampire language Vamerra he used.

The vampire in the back with the shaggy hazelnut hair stepped up now too and looked saddened and hurt at Bella from behind.

"Olokun is right milady. If this takes place and we do nothing it could corrupt humanity and religions for centuries to come. We must act upon it."

He too spoke Vamerra. Though I didn't understand anything he said I knew that he was worried. From his reaction alone I could theorize that surely he was worried about what was transpiring and perhaps wanted to stop it too. History books however already ruined the ending of this horrific act for me.

Now the blond haired vampire spoke up. "Corin is right. From all that we know of humanity we can easily determine that not far in the future from now they WILL regret this. Besides that, we cannot allow for any sentient being to be executed in such a detesting way."

"It is not for you to decide on who should live and who should die Gabrielle. You know our laws, the laws of the Vampire Lords." The beautiful woman next to Bella with the silk corn hair seemed to protest. Her voice was very light and charming. It made me think of clear waters of blue.

"Laws can be adjusted, alteration is not impossible Conterra. Some laws are meant to rule things that are never certain. This very occurrence can be classified as a catastrophe that direly needs intervention."

"This to be heard from your lips Olokun? I had much higher expectations for you. The laws stand firm and strong, and they exist for specific reasons brother. If we corrupt them now we are attuned to do so once more in futuristic businesses." The blond haired woman seemed to counter again.

Wait a minute. Olokun? Conterra? Those names were all too familiar to me. They were mentioned on the list out of Carlisle's index that Bella incinerated. That meant that Bella knew these vampires? The crucifixion took place only a few decades after the Common Era began so I was witnessing an event that was about two thousand years old. It was made me believed that these ancient ones expired long before now though. Was Bella protecting them by destroying the page that contained their names?

"That man is an important figure in human movement. He is not like the other rats that live here. He is far ahead of his time and could be useful in the city."

"You were once such a rat, do not forget Olokun. Besides, he has no place in our city. Furthermore, his usefulness is subject of investigation. Also, he is mortal; there is no place for a mortal within our realm."

"They believe he is a demigod; half human, and half god. I have seen…"

"ENOUGH!" They all jumped when Bella intervened in their conversation. The two vampires in the back who seemed younger judged by their eyes moved back a few steps, fear taking an upright position in their eyes.

"Demigod… You seem to forget that that term was coined for us! Do not forget who the true gods of Kemet, Greece, Midgard, Asia, the Cold World, Nod, and all the others are. Ra, Osiris, Hathor, Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, Odin, Thor, Amaterasu, Guan-Yu, Morrigan, Akan, Yoruba… They were all vampires. Once upon a time they were… WE were all worshipped as gods, and goddesses.

That time has now come to an end. That time will never reemerge. What we did was vain, and unjustified. HE, Jesus, is man; possibly a great man and prophet of this time but man nonetheless."

Several names Bella murmured I recognized. The names belonged to great deities that were once overwhelmingly worshipped by humans all around the globe. Was it possible that all of them were as I am now too?

The lightly brown haired vampire frowned in misery.

"But please milady. We cannot condone such actions. He is a great leader of humanity and might actually guide them to the great path. Is this not what we want for them?"

"They are far, far too young. It will still take many millenniums until they are ready to embrace that state."

"Still, what he could leave behind for them could assist…"

"CORIN! YOU ARE OUT OF PLACE! This decision is not to be made by you."

Apparently, Corin lowered his head and cowered back in line with the other blond headed male. It sounded like Bella put him in his place.

"Corin is not incorrect," Olokun whispered, "humanity will one day regret this deeply. It will be a regret that could infest the hearts of many and cause untold amounts of sorrow and unfaithfulness. Much evil could develop if this is not halted."

Bella stared over the landscape emotionless at the scene. I couldn't believe that her marble face couldn't even summon one ounce of emotion to all of this. There were dark dusty shadows beneath her eyes and a sharp glare reflected in her red irises. I seemed to be slowly figuring her out. Her face hardly ever showed any sort of emotion but her eyes told another tale.

In them I saw something, something that ran a chill down my spine. Her eyes were as blood, they seemed warm, and passionate. Yet, the hardness in them revealed other things. Her pupils shook slightly as if they were screaming and in rage. There was hatred and the experience of many millennia. These eyes had seen too many sunrises. They had seen things that no other living thing should see. They were the eyes of someone who had power and who was not afraid to use it; the eyes of a goddess. Bella's eyes…

"Though perplexed about the situation I find myself agreeing with Olokun. This could cause much chaos in the future, and no one on earth knows about chaos better than we do."

Bella said nothing and acted like she hadn't heard them. Her arms were crossed beneath her sapphire colored robe. They all seemed somewhat impatient. All four of them stared at Bella, waiting for her to say something.

Not just them. It seemed as if though the entire world became quiet. Even the screams became distant and soundless. The winds slowed and softened their pace. The rustling of the trees and grass faded away. The silence was uncomfortable. There was no sound at all. I stepped around to look at Bella up front and center. I would not understand her words but perhaps I could comprehend them by just looking at her face. All their eyes shook awaiting her response or even perhaps her decision on how to behave.

It seemed like a life age but eventually Bella's eyes blinked once in synchronization and she raised her head.

"Let them drown in their sorrow."

The shocked stare of the vampire's next and behind her predicted no good fortune. The two in the back held their appalled expression's the longest. They looked to each other completely taken off guard. Olokun and Conterra that stood next to Bella seemed shocked too but that emotion only survived on their faces for a few seconds. Eventually they nodded, and seemed to respect whatever decision she had made.

Without one last glance Bella turned her back on the scene and by doing so, turned her back on the Messiah himself and glided away. It was all in slow motion when I watched her. Her eyes slowly closed and her light mahogany hair rustled beautifully in the returning winds and she did not look back even once.

Olokun and Conterra followed Bella. Gabrielle too eventually succumbed and turned his back to follow his kin. The brown haired vampire that I now recognized as Corin though lingered. Olokun noticed Corin's hesitation and placed his hand gently on his shoulder.

"It is not our way to interfere with human affairs. A human to humans, and a vampire to vampires; we can never be as one and will forever be apart."

Olokun left Corin behind to join Bella and the others. Corin seemed to be the most sympathetic to this cause. I could see in his eyes the longing to dash over and kill all those that defiled the savior. Would he go against the others? I sighed disappointed. No, he would not.

Corin turned his back with his face wrapped in a mask of despair and ran after the other vampires.

My insides crumbled. I couldn't believe it. Bella turned her back on this? How could she have been so cold hearted and cruel? How was she able to let such evil unfold right in front of her? Was it this then? This event that caused the uproar of hatred within her that was directly pointed at humans? Was it...?

I still couldn't understand. Why didn't she do anything? How was she able to just turn her back like that with not one ounce of compassion on her face? Had she become so cold and hard over the years? Has she entered the darkness so deep that it now ruled her? I wondered what she had spoken to the darkness of night. What was it? I shook my head hurt, and confused.

How? Why?

_Have you learned…nothing…? _

I froze when that familiar voice penetrated my mind. I looked around and noticed that the scene of the crucifixion had evaporated. Bella and the vampires accompanying her had faded away in the distance too. The entire field was empty, and it looked like I was alone.

_You are… never… alone… _

My breath quickly rose intensely as I became more nervous. This voice could read my thoughts. How ironic… The voice sounded more like an echo now and was outside my head and on the winds.

_Life is all… around you… Those that were… those that are… and some… that have not yet come to pass… You are… never alone… _

There was suddenly a light in front of me. At first I had mistaken it with the white flash that had seemingly transported me to scenarios of the past whenever I wondered about Bella, but it wasn't. The light was small and about the size of a golf ball. It was a bright and radiant light. It began to grow. The way it moved was hypnotizing. It suddenly grew what appeared to be legs, and then two arms, and eventually a head. The light turned golden, almost plain yellow and began to fade revealing a face behind its veil.

The image before me began to clear up. I had already seen this before and was almost angry now that it was about to show itself. The picture revealed a man dressed in white clothing; satin. Of course, it was the apparition.

I saw him now as I did then. He was transparent and the mirror image of me, except that he looked human. Suddenly the light began to dwindle and his form solidified until there was no more light and he looked like a regular person. He smiled at me.

I was fuming. The clarity was so obvious now it made me wonder why I hadn't noticed before. He was the one messing with me. He was the one controlling my emotions and that stopped me from confronting my family about Bella earlier. It was him, all him.

I blinked surprised when I examined his face closer. I stopped the raging rivers of anger within me as I started to wonder. His face was so… so… tired. Though there was a slight smile on his lips his face appeared so weary, truly tired actually. There was something else. There were stains on his face. I noticed a line traveling down his cheek beginning from both of his eyes and ending at his chin line. Had he been weeping? It was like he cried so much that these stains were of permanent residence on his face.

I swallowed nervously and finally asked what I had wanted to ask for weeks.

"What are you?" A crooked grin pulled up on his weary face. It looked exactly like my own.

"What are you but a machine of superior design than humanity yet lesser in quality than Lantean?"

Lantean? Bella's race of people no doubt. I breathed in courageously and loyal to the cause of uncovering his secrets.

"Why have you been… manipulating my every step? I know it was you. I can see it clearly now. Before it seemed clouded and now… now I actually find myself stupid for not seeing it before." He smiled.

"There is a time for everything, and a reason for all that occurs."

I grunted. "Then what is the reason for your influence on me?"

"History… is about to repeat itself." I shook my head confused.

"What? What is about to repeat itself? Why do you look like me?"

He didn't answer me. His eyes slowly grew smaller until he stared at me through slits. At first it seemed he was glaring but his expression was still too soft for that. He turned his body to the side while keeping his head and eyes fixed on me. Walking deliberately slowly he began to circle me, and pacing his steps.

I didn't turn my back to him and rotated my body as well while he was orbiting me.

"Something will soon occur that has not happened since war's end. Something... is coming..."

His voice was weak and wheezy. The way he said his sentiment caused a cold wave of chill to run down my arms and made the hairs on my arms stand up too.

"What… is coming?"

He slightly smiled. Now I began to think. How would he know what was to come in the future? Was there something already in motion? But what was coming? How on earth would he know?

"When I possessed a corporal form I had a gift, much like all the others of my kin. I had the ability to seek out the future and see it as clearly as the sun will rise over the eastern shores."

Much like Alice's precognitive gift…

"No. Your sister sees possibilities whilst I saw, and still see realities."

Whoa. A certain future? No "if" or "could be"? That would certainly explain why he would know about things that have yet to happen. At least I got one of my questions answered. I returned an icy glare at my consort here and refocused on my prior question.

"Who or what is coming?"

"A gathering… a power of massive proportions. I saw it in my mind." He closed his eyes and began to describe what he saw. "It will rise from the ashes of the past, and emerge out of legend and will enter a new era. For far too long has it hidden in shadow and doubt. For too long has it sat in misery and the unknown. A modern flame will be woken that will drive it out of its long slumber."

It sounded… old, and legendary. I had no idea what to think of this. I couldn't begin to imagine what it actually was he was describing. It was this that made me more afraid. The greatest fear of all was not knowing what was to come especially when he defined it with such mighty words.

"But… before it can be woken something will happen that could jeopardize the existence of you and all those you love. And no matter how much you will try to stop it, you will fail. But fret not. Allow it to happen, for if it does you will finally discover your reason for being."

What? What was it exactly that was approaching us? I should risk the lives of the ones I love for that? Was he insane? How can he have the audacity to ask me something like that? Was this a benevolent force or something darker? And more importantly, what was going to happen that would summon it here?

Who IS HE?

Surely reading my thoughts again he stopped circling me. He turned his body to fully face me and started to walk closer. UNCANNY! The resemblance between me and him was simply indescribable. He stopped in front of me and smiled.

"If something happened once, it can happen again. There is no relation between the two of us. But where I come from we teach the younglings that _if something happens once it can happen again. _I believe you to be the modern day version of myself."

Modern day ver… "And who are you exactly? What are you?" He stretched out his hand for me to shake.

I examined it at first and saw no ill favor in his eyes and enclosed his hand in my own. How warm it was.

"Helios, I am Helios Nosamielle." He shook my hand and uttered his name.

Helios? That was his name? It wasn't the first time I heard that name either. I think I came across it while studying ancient Roman and Greek myths. Helios was the god of the sun, healing, and music. His counterpart was Apollo. Could there be a connection?

"We are all connected." Damn it. This reading my mind thing was truly edging me over the edge. Now I know how everybody else always feels around me.

"Do not ask me about what is approaching you. I will not give you an answer for if I do you might cripple its ability to return, and you will want it to return."

I smacked my lips annoyed.

"Fine. Then I'll ask another question. WHAT. ARE. YOU?"

Helios' more uplifted expression seemed to die away. Deep red bruises infested themselves beneath his eyes and his bottom lip began to whimper. He broke our eye contact and looked at the ground. Suddenly, from his left eye I saw a crystalline like tear escape and spill over his cheek running down the permanent stain that was already there.

"A memory… a shadow… or perhaps a scar and reminder that the past is very real. I should not even linger here… This world is for the living and not for those that have already passed. My essence and thoughts should have returned to the planet from whence they came millennia ago."

"Then why haven't they?"

He shook his head and a sob rose from his chest spilling over his lips. "I… I-I can't… I JUST CANNOT GO WITHOUT KNOWING THAT THE LIGHT OF ATLANTIS WILL SHINE ON… I juu-uust… can't… It was all sooo-oo sudden… I.. I… I have to.. say go-oodbye…" He covered his face in his hands and turned around, ashamed.

Strangely I felt a great deal of pity towards him. Once more I began to wonder what it was that caused him so much sorrow and misery. He was Lantean. He said the "light of Atlantis". What he was describing as "suddenly" must have been the storm that came and wiped out his home. But… it didn't make sense. He wanted to say goodbye? I was about to ask another question when he stretched his body and drew in a deep breath.

"Tell me… Have you ever wondered how vampires came into existence?"

This immediately peaked my interest. "Well… yeah, of course. What vampire hasn't?"

"Though no one knows, and no eyes are left to span over the vast distance of countless eons; some do wonder how the immortal sprang from the hellfire's of creation. Mortals are ignorant forever. Though their past immortal families do rein the underworld coexisting with their own, and marvel at these antique and hushed whispers.

The unique and mystical tale of the four original Super Powers that have hence forsaken this world but not without leaving behind ancient turmoil in their fading footprints, that would soon infest and seed in the very new species that erupted from the Earth; Homo sapiens.

Vampire, Shape shifter, Werewolf, and Gargoyle emanated extraordinary and destructive warring upon an unsuspecting reborn world. Continents were torn asunder, the oceans parted in the uproar of their menacing screams, and humans became endless buffets of nourishment.

Millennia have past, and only few now live who recall and can project the age old wars of these ancient relics.

Are you one that wonders?"

"We-ll, yeah, I just said so. But… if no one knows than how could you possibly remember?"

Helios smiled at me crookedly.

"You are aware of venenum memoria?"

"Yes." I remembered this exercise all too well, after all, it had been used on me. When I thought about the night when Bella drank my venom the small scar on my thumb began to burn slightly.

"No vampire or other physical being remembers these things from firsthand experience, however; it has been passed down in the pool of vampire genetic memory. Still, even the ancients that still exist today are blind to those events. There are a few however that possess this knowledge but are torn with whether or not to share it."

"Why would they do that?" Helios shuttered.

"Oh Edward… It was dark times, very, very dark times. Even before the wars began there was an evil even more ancient than what is approaching you now. This evil covered the face of Gaia in a sheet of darkness without hope of recovery. Rivers and oceans of blood, forests of fire, mountains of ash, and many more atrocities spread from this one single entity. A time in which the heavens would crack open and spit crimson thunder upon this world…"

Crimson thunder? The memory of the vision he had shown me before pushed itself into my mind. I recalled the appearance of that horrific face in the sky made of fire. I remembered its horns, fangs, and vile roar. But what I remembered the most was how it ripped open its mouth and spat fireballs down upon that diamond city.

"Yes…" Helios whispered. "Exactly that…"

"But what happened? I mean you never hear of such things these days. It was eventually stopped wasn't it?"

Helios' eyes grew dark and gloomy. I saw his mouth twisting like there was a distasteful scent on his tongue or like his stomach was churning with sickness. Something was resting in the depth of his thoughts and I hoped that he wished to confide it to me.

"It was indeed stopped… It was stopped by the means of the Ultimate Sacrifice."

I blinked astonished. "Someone or more sacrificed their lives to stop it?" Helios' eyes twitched. I don't think I had opened the right door yet.

"Oh no… although lives were completely destroyed by this one selfless act the sacrifice I speak of was higher than giving your life for someone or something else."

"How?" What is more precious than life?" From what I heard from him AND Bella it was strange to think that there was something they both treasured higher than life.

His face looked mixed with emotions. It sort of reminded me of Bella when she was deciding on whether or not to… well, yeah. However, Bella did not show her emotions clear on her face like he did but rather in her eyes.

"Very well… Understand the following. I will now show you something from the past, something that should never be viewed by any living being upon this Earth. The event I will show you was the cornerstone for the continuation of civilization. It will be confusing and you might not directly understand but know that over time YOU WILL be illuminated on its meaning. It is very important that you see this in order to… understand _her_.

It will not specifically clarify the creation of vampires but YOU will see _THE FIRST_! I refer to the one that spread the curse of immortality and vampirism throughout this world; Chaos!"

Without even allowing me to decide whether or not I wished to see Helios touched my forehead with his finger and the white clouds returned.

**(Authors Note) – I know this chapter is shorter than the ones I have been handing out here of late but life currently is chaotic and I have to help my mother go through a rather hard time right now. So I'm just glad that I could at least ship out this 4,500 word chapter.**

**At least now you know the identity of this spirit. And obviously it was Helios that narrated the prologue :)! **

**PLEASE REVIEW. I long for the big 700 :)! **


	28. Chapter 27

The Ultimate Sacrifice

The white cotton clouds were flashing by me like racecars. Endlessly I felt falling and drowning deeper and deeper. Wherever I was going must have been far into the past. I had never fallen for so long. Helios… He said he was going to show me an event that no other modern or ancient being has a recollection of. He whispered that I was going to see the first. The very first of all vampires, the one that all those that are cursed with immortality can trace their ancestry back to.

What would he look like? What was he like? He was evil! In mythology Chaos was described as the origin of all evil. So far mythology had gotten pretty close to describing the ancients vividly. What was it that they sacrificed then; the ancients that is. What is left for vampires to fight for? What could be a better bliss than sleep eternal?

The white clouds were dimming and beyond their veil of stars I saw an approaching dark space. Suddenly I began to descend faster. What was I going to see? Somehow I felt… nervous, frightened even. I fell into the dark abyss that waited beyond the clouds and a bright white flash appeared before my eyes. Wherever I was, I had arrived.

Without even realizing it I had been squeezing my eyes shut. I felt my being shiver slightly. The falling had always been somehow less than comfortable. A scent entered my nose. Carefully I breathed it in and allowed it to fill me. I tasted the scent on my tongue and it was dirty. It tasted like ash. The scent was warm too; fire? I wasn't wrong. I distinctly smelled fire and ash.

In the distance I heard a sizzling and cracking. There was a stillness though. A very disturbing silence. I opened my eyes.

I gasped. It looked as if though I had ended up in hell. I was in a barren wasteland. The very ground I stood on was covered with melted rock and black sand. The cracking and sizzling noises came from the fire I had detected. In the distance and all around me there were forests of blazing flares throwing huge clouds of dark gray smoke to the sky. The sky was so black. It was a blackness I had never seen on its face before. Far on the horizons I saw it cracking open and throwing crimson lighting.

What was this place? I took a step forward and heard a squashing sound beneath my shoe. I lifted my foot and graced my hand over the sole and felt some form of liquid attaching itself to my fingers. I brought it to my face and examined it further. It was gooey, oily, and black. I tasted it with my nose and strangely enough found the scent rather appealing.

Of course… Blood! I threw a weather look all over the ground and saw the filthy dark blood everywhere. A red flash engulfed the area as above me the sky threw one of its crimson torpedo's of lighting towards the ground. A small fire began to sinisterly circle on the spot the lighting had struck and white smoke ascended towards the sky.

Truly, and without a single doubt in my mind I could classify this place as Hell. Every description, every mention, and every mindless babbling defined hell just like this. Suddenly a warm and more radiant yellow light faded into place next to me and Helios appeared.

His emerald orbs glided across the monstrous landscape and he shook his head.

"Where are we?" I asked confused.

Helios looked at me and raised one of his bronze eyebrows. He smiled shaking his head again. I didn't understand his notion.

"Earth. We are on Earth Edward."

I coughed. WHAT? But… look at this? The history books never mentioned Earth to look like this. Although, I guess it would be possible that only a small area of Earth might have disguised itself in this and that the rest was alright.

"No. You are incorrect. This is indeed Earth. Earth as it looked over 8,000 years ago."

Once more he injected me with shock and confusion. What the hell could have happened that long ago that could cause this? What did they test nuclear bombs back then too? Even the air here was so dirty, and I wouldn't be surprised if it was filled with toxic fumes. I couldn't even see, smell or hear any animals in the surrounding areas.

"Humans then were of lesser intelligence than they are today. I am not stating that they have grown smarter since they continue to repeat their past mistakes but during this era they were gullible enough to forget. Vampires have always been geniuses when it comes to the art of vanishing history pages, and legends. They do not even realize that so many millennia ago their world was thrown into such a state of darkness."

I couldn't believe it. Vampires were actually able to make all of this disappear? But what about the Earth itself? Wouldn't it take more than a few millenniums to rebuild all of this?

"Yes it would take a long time. However, all of this was caused by a being of higher and supreme power. Therefore, it was only rational that other higher beings refurnished the Earth once the being that caused all of this was eliminated."

I blinked astonished. "What being?"

"I believe you know of whom I speak Edward."

I took another look at my surrounding. I watched the fires burn down whatever was left of the waking world. The sky's cracked open again and threw more lighting down upon us. The entire world had been turned to ash. Were humans even still around? But out of the shadow and doubt in my mind a light emerged with the answer that Helios sought.

"Chaos." Helios nodded approvingly.

"Chaos was the first vampire. He came into existence roughly one million years ago. He was the one that spread the curse of immortality across the globe. All vampires come from him. He is not only the first vampire but also the first living being credited with achieving a stage of enlightenment. He was the first person to ever ascend."

I was speechless. Bella spoke of ascension too. But why would he do this? Why would he throw the world into utter ruin? What was his motive?

"Humanity…"

"Humans? Why?" Helios started to explain.

"The original four that were born from the hellfire's of creation used this world as a battle ground. You believe THIS to be horrific… you should have seen the world as it was millions of more years ago. Anyway, they warred for a very long time. They tore this world asunder reshaping it over and over again to fit their own means. Eventually, they decided to leave this world behind. You see a new species erupted from the Earth; Homo sapiens. They knew that this world was not meant for them. They knew that this world was created for humanity, trees, the water, and all other living things. But before departing for higher planes of existence they left behind their seeds that would over time evolve into the four supernatural species that the world has today. Chaos who was human all those tens of thousands of years ago was seeded with the curse of blood. He in turn became the first vampire.

I should confide that in the beginning he was not of evil nature. But rather after he ascended and became one with the cosmos did he first understand why the four gods of old departed. They left because of humans and all other living things. It enraged him. Seedlings of evil and hatred were born deep within him and his soul become black as the night.

He believed that if he could reform this world to what it once was that the four would one day return. You see he worshipped them because he believed that they were the creators of all life which is not true. They never created any sort of life but rather infected it and terraformed it into something else.

Chaos was insane…

Ascension gave him great power and he misused it."

Incredible. Vampires let alone humans could never even guess at this. Helios told an amazing tale. But I felt like there was much more to it. Something also bugged at me concerning Chaos. If he was such an amazing and awesome force then what happened to him. Why didn't he ever achieve his goal?

"It is quite simple. Chaos was not the only one to ever ascend. There were others that reached enlightenment out of the goodness and purity of their hearts. Enlightenment is not prejudice. It can be attained through purity of good or purity of evil Edward. Those that reached it with meditation, goodness and pure love saw the cosmos, the universe, and this world for what it truly was. They also knew that the four powers would never return. Why? Because their warring ended a long time ago.

Chaos though did not know this and didn't care for the words of those he considered of lesser quality than him. They were the only ones that stood in his way of completely destroying this world. Unfortunately though their collective power was not enough to wipe him from existence but could rather only hinder and even stop him.

Chaos was the oldest of the ascended beings and the most powerful. He also configured a way of strengthening his power. A way that the other ascended were blind to. He was capable of drawing spiritual energy from every single vampire in existence to maximize his own power. In other words, the more vampires there were the more powerful he became.

In the end the ascended had to compromise and they only had one pathway left. This pathway of which I speak I will now show you Edward. It is about to transpire so pay close attention."

My head was throbbing. So much information all at once was too much. How was I to understand all of this? Why would he lay all of this on me now, and all at once? I took a precautious look around the hellish vicinity. It was hard to believe that such devilry could exist. Chaos caused all of this. And then the ascended fixed it? What sorts of abilities do the ascended gain? Are they truly that powerful?

"Edward…" Helios' soothing voice brought me back. "It has come…"

I saw Helios' vision had moved straight ahead of us and up in the sky. I narrowed my eyes and the dark clouds while they were circling and spiraling. It looked like a maelstrom consisting of clouds. The blood red lightning intensified around us and set nearly everything ablaze. A gray mist began to cover all the ash covered fields. It was eerie or like the Earth was… afraid.

From the small hole formed cloudy maelstrom something appeared. At first I thought it was just another black cloud emerging but this was different. It looked like a shadow and was even blacker than a thirsty vampire's eye. As insane as that sounded I couldn't agree with myself more. Slowly it descended down from the sky like a twister. It looked so thick and even… cold. There was a clash or a thundering. Black lighting was running in strong currents around its peculiar form. More and more erupted from within its innards. It even shot within its own self revealing a dirty white spectrum.

"Edward, allow me to introduce: Chaos!"

"THAT'S HIM?" Helios nodded, his body was shaking.

"Indeed, in his natural ascended form. The first vampire."

Chaos… This is what an ascended being looks like? When Bella mentioned existing in a state of pure energy for some reason I had envisioned a white glowing ball of sorts but this… Were our souls so black and filthy that we would look like this?

"It begins." Helios muttered. He turned around and looked over his shoulder. I followed his lead and looked to the back of us. I saw nothing but the ash, smoke and fire. I could smell nothing but the flames and blood. But suddenly from out between the gray fog I saw a figure approaching. The shape was strange I thought at first but then I noticed that the figure wore a robe. A dark blue robe with a hoddie that completely concealed the face of the unknown visitor but mysteriously enough I did not have to consider who it could be.

Wait! It wasn't just one person. I saw more approaching. One, two, three… seven more figures appeared from out of the mist. They were all clothed in sapphire blue like robes and their faces too were hidden. I felt a nudge and saw Helios gently gesturing me to move over to the side. I did as he wished and so did he. The person in front began to come closer to us. It was extravagant to watch them move. It didn't even look like they were walking at all but rather gliding or levitating.

They stopped. The spear of the small group stood now between me and Helios. Two feminine and white as snow hands revealed themselves from underneath the robe and threw back the hoddie that hid their identity, and soft light brown mahogany hair sprawled into the air.

BELLA!

Bella's face seemed grim. She looked different too. Her eyes were not as dark as they were now but were instead much brighter. Her skin too had not yet achieved that fair complexion she had back in reality. Eight thousand years… My god! How old was Bella exactly?

Now the figures in the back began to take of their hoodies one by one revealing one stunning person after another. The first person that dropped their hoddie I recognized immediately. It was Olokun, and Conterra stood right next to him. There was another male vampire with short curly brown locks and a somewhat ornery expression. His crooked smile was plastered all over his face. _Something funny?_ I though confused. There was another woman next to him with long beautifully dark curled hair as well. She had natural pouted lips with high cheekbones and a delicate button nose. I recognized her too. I thought I had seen in her in the vision of that city and that she was one of the vampires trying to pull Bella back.

A small step in front of her was an oriental man. He had neat black hair with an almost blue like hue. His face was round and his nose flat. He too was absolutely stunning. Next to him stood another man with spiky black hair which looked very modern and it was a hairstyle frequently seen today. He had thick lips and flat cheekbones. He looked Native American Indian. And finally, just behind him lingered another. This vampire had thin black hair woven into a single braid. There were strange red marking beneath his eyes. They looked like tattoos and were shaped like long dragged out V's.

Now if I don't question this myself I will be kicking my own rear but could there possibly be a connection with the eight vampires mentioned in Carlisle's index and the eight vampires that I see in front of me right now? Those fabled vampires of legend, and the oldest names ever recorded by our history; could it possibly be them? Maybe, or maybe not. Bella's name was never once mentioned unless of course she lied about her identity. As of right now I severely hope that she hadn't.

Olokun folded his hands in a gentlemanly manner behind his back and moved closer to Bella. The flaring fire like winds blew violently through their hair and face. Bella's eyes were narrowed while her bright red eyes shuddered with what seemed to be anticipation. Olokun stopped only a few meters from Bella shaking his head smiling.

"For glory? For power? For immortalization of those that are already immortal?" Bella whipped around her eyes wide and her face stern.

"For Gaia!" The vamerrian words they uttered I could not understand but Olokun nodded smiling with a weary expression.

Bella turned her body fully to face the vampires standing behind her. I noticed that for some reason she was wearing her emotions on her face rather than in her eyes. This must truly have been a very, very long time ago. I wondered how old she was right now.

"We cannot rush upon this with doubt in our hearts. We all knew what was to come when we answered the call of the enlightened ones. There is no other way. If we do not act upon this all that has grown for so long will vanish into the dusty recesses of memory.

You all know the sacrifice that will be made in order to do this. This is not simple. It is not something that should be asked of us. So long we have already sat in shadow and doubt. For so many sun rises have we felt becoming more and more obsolete. Yet we have lingered and continued upon this dwindling road of eternity. Why did we do this? Because we knew that there was a light at the end of the journey. We have all dreamed of it for so long…

White shores…

The dreamers of day that never fulfill nor act their dreams are futile. We have to realize that there are more important things than our own salvation.

I could not live with myself if I ran away now. I could not go on knowing that another poor soul had to take my place because I was a coward. By all the things that I hold dear upon this good green earth I now know where my allegiances lie.

My loyalty lies to the world upon which we have fed. It lies to humanity. The ones that truly belong here.

Our dreams of rising above the clouds and joining those that came before are at an end. After so many years of dreaming and sitting in pools of our unseen tears we must now release this dream in order to do what we know is right.

It is very likely that we will die today. But if we must die then I wish us to fight a fight that will be worthy of remembrance.

I cannot make this decision for you. But the time has come to decide. Flee, and ascend, and be free of pain or fight, and continue with your sorrow for eternity. The choice seems unimaginably easy yet you know what must be done.

Decide now my brethren."

God I wish I could understand Vamerra. Many times during Bella's speech the air in her throat was caught in its place.

"I could not live either knowing that someone else had to take my place," the beautiful woman with the dark curls said. "The sacrifice that we offer today will never be remembered. We will never be remembered. But, if we do this right then people will think that we have done nothing at all anyway. I always dreamed of sailing the horizons and finding union with the universe but I know that this cause is more important than my own salvation. I fight."

"I always dreamt of love," Olokun spoke up. "I always envisioned a caramel beauty beside me. One I can share all the years of this earth with but now I understand that love cannot bear me hence. If I fight now then perhaps I can save love and much more of it can be born in the hearts of others. It only takes one glance for it to be born after all. Knowing that I saved that small special moment I could perhaps live forever. I fight!"

"Well I ain't got nothing better do than deal with you weirdo's," the male with the curled brown locks spoke up laughing while he did. "But I know that if it hadn't been for the stupidity and ignorance of humanity that has made me laugh for so long I would have faded centuries ago. I guess I owe them. Only thing that sucks the thrill out of this is that I'll be a virgin forever. Oh well… What was I going to do today anyway? I fight!"

Small laughter spilled over their lips before Conterra spoke. "Forever we will be bound to this earth; forever, in eternal death. I was so alone before I found this fellowship, all of you. I traveled so many miles through the icy field of the Cold World before finally realizing that there were things worthy of saving. You have all warmed my heart and so I will battle for you, and all those that you love. I fight!"

"So many lights on the horizons, so many twinkles so far away," the braided headed vampire spoke. "These evil clouds have hidden the sky and its magnificent glow. I wish to see it again and destroy this dirty veil. All those that came before have given their faith to us, and all those that have yet to pass count on us. I wish to save them. I wish to save life for nothing is of greater importance. I fight!"

"He murdered my friends and almost drove them into extinction," the Native American vampire began to speak. "I do not wish to enter this battle with the thoughts of revenge. I will never forgive him for his foul deed. So, I do not fight for revenge but rather for the memory of their pride and glory. I will battle for my friends that have fallen defending us. I will battle for us. I fight!"

"The dreams of trees, birds, fish, and beasts will soon be woken," the Asian man spoke. "I do not wish for them to wake to such a nightmare. I miss the days when the trees would sing their songs and whisper their secrets to me. I miss the animals, the small insects and reptiles that tell their adventurous tales. I miss life. For all the life that is not valued by this world yet thrives it I will do battle. I fight!"

Bella's eyes were vibrating and she smiled. I think if she were still alive she would be tearing now. Bella stepped closer to them and put her hand out in the middle of their small circle. Olokun joined Bella and put his hand on top of hers encircling her white hand in his dark skinned one. Conterra and the others joined them and put all their hands on top of one another. They were all smiling at each other.

"For love… and that single moment of pure happiness…" Olokun whispered.

"For those that will come and see a new horizon…" The woman with the dark curled hair sobbed.

"For all the past laughter and many more to come..." The ornery looking vampire whispered smiling.

"For life and for those that have yet come to pass…" The braided vampire said nodding his head.

"For all of our friends that have died to get us here…" Sobbing slightly, the Native American vampire whispered as well.

"For nature, the trees, and all life that is beautiful in its own special way…" The oriental looking vampire added his piece too.

"For my friends, for you my brethren…" Conterra whispered.

Bella revealed her teeth and for the first time I saw a true smile on her face.

"For Gaia… for humanity…"

"Yes. The time has come for us to do what we know must be done." Olokun whispered.

"Forever…" Bella whispered back.

"Yes… forever bound in eternal death and forsaken in the dark…" Conterra whispered back.

"Now, here and today we will join and become what we were selected to be." The Native American whispered with pride in his voice.

"Yes…" Bella nodded her head.

"Us, the Vampire Lords." Bella made the last statement before they all disbanded their hands and faced the dark shadow in front of them.

"Such valor…" Helios whispered. Oh yeah… yeah… I wish I had understood what they said.

"They are giving up everything Edward."

"Giving up what exactly?"

"All that there is. Love, happiness, and most importantly; their ascension. For so long have they suffered alone in the depth of their own demise. They have worked for millennia to reach the stage on which they may finally leave this lonely world behind. You cannot imagine the bliss that ascension brings. The capability to understand everything… there is nothing greater than that. No more questions about why we were born, why we are here, what the meaning of life is, nothing. In other words, they gave up their chance of heaven for this world, for humanity, FOR YOU!

Just try to imagine it Edward. Try to imagine yourself working towards a goal for thousands of years and then when you are so close to achieving it… it gets swept away. All of them are only two thousand years away from this goal and now they have to give it all up. And Bella is even having a harder time because she's only a few centuries away. Now though… now it is all gone and all their past efforts have been in vain. The end."

I felt like such a bastard. If I would have known what was at stake I never would have though so ignorantly about it. The last stage in the journey, the very last road left for us the damned and a chance at eternal bliss, and they throw it away for the ungrateful children that will soon be born. No wonder Bella talks to Carlisle and us the way she does. But… what exactly did they do?

"Watch, it begins."

At the sound of Helios' voice the eight vampires stormed forward and directly towards the black essence that was Chaos. Bella was in the lead and the spear of the attack. Suddenly from within the blackness of its soul a dark whip like thing emerged and slashed forward. It impacted Bella causing her to scream in pain as she was thrown off to the side. I became rigid with worry and could almost feel the pain of her sting. Conterra suddenly stopped in her tracks.

She put out her hands to either side of her and began to levitate? Indeed she did. She ascended higher towards the sky where I noticed the clouds strongly circling faster and faster until a well sized twister descended down from the heavens and struck Chaos. It didn't even seem to bother him. Black lighting shot out from within him and hit Olokun, the woman with the pouted lips, the one with the braided hair, and the ornery one. They all screeched in pain and were thrown off towards the side just like Bella. The other two, the Native American, and Asian Vampire ran right into the depth of Chaos' shadow. Wild lighting shot at Chaos from above, and Conterra returned to the earth.

She threw out her hands and white lighting with blue flickers bolted out from her fingers and at Chaos. Bella returned to her feet and threw out her hands violently too and flaring flames of red shot from her palms. There was a clash and the two vampires that had just entered Chaos were thrown back; their faces cracked.

Conterra and Bella were the only ones left standing. White lighting and red flames were circling around Chaos trying to consume his entire form. It didn't look like they were doing any good. If they knew that Chaos was so powerful then why did they even bother trying to fight him? Suddenly black lighting shot out from his essence again and drove right through the white lighting and red flames hitting Bella and Conterra hard; throwing them back on the ground.

"This battle is over." I looked at Helios confused. _Already, _I though disappointed.

"They knew that a raw battle such as this would result in his favor."

"But then why bother?" Helios smiled.

"A diversion. They were only trying to buy time for…" Helios looked up to the sky without finishing his sentence. I joined his glance and suddenly saw many white lights emerging from in-between the darkness of the sky.

"They have come… The ascended."

Curiosity consumed me. I wondered what they would look like. Would they be just as Chaos was? Dark, evil, and ferocious? Would I see many dark twisters or mist like beings descending from the sky? A light began to filter through the dark abyss above. It was so bright and radiant that the dark clouds didn't stand a chance against its magnificent glow. A large portion of the clouds disappeared right above Chaos and a bright light shone down from above.

Suddenly, as if heaven itself unlocked its golden gates I saw swarms of several beautiful golden white lights emerging from the above light. They weren't what I had expected. There was no true humanoid form. They were quite average in size perhaps four to five feet with what looked like tentacles emerging from their sphere like bodies. They were all aglow. Many of these golden octopuses came and they all glittered with silencing visions of bright white light.

My eyes flew across all of them trying to count. I had already counted over three hundred when the ones that had fallen first began to circle around Chaos. It reminded me of a bee hive or better yet someone that had attacked a bee hive and the bees were now ready to strike back. They started to circle faster and every single one of the golden white ascended beings joined the others.

I quickly covered my ears in discomfort when from Chaos a menacing and screeching scream erupted. I saw dusty tentacles from him trying to reach them and stop their pace but there were too many of them. He was greatly outnumbered. But then why couldn't they simply stop him? Was he truly that mighty?

"NOW IS THE TIME!" I jumped when Bella roared at her fellow vampires in her vamerrian tongue.

"REMEMBER MY BROTHERS! DO THIS NOW AND THERE WILL BE NO LIGHT TO SAIL YOU SAVELY TO DISTANT SHORES!"

Without awaiting a response Bella once again stormed towards the spectacle before us. I saw seven more shadows flying along side of her. Bella stopped right before Chaos and the lights of the ascended started to thin him out. His dark form grew thinner and thinner. The sphere like shapes of the ascended had disappeared as they fused into one silver wind that was now rotating and entrapping Chaos.

Bella stretched out her hands to either side. The other undead joined her and formed a perfect circle of eight around Chaos. They took each other by the hand, holding on tight to one another.

"The Ultimate Sacrifice…" I barely heard Helios' words.

Suddenly there was a thunder. But the thunder did not come from the sky but instead originated somewhere from within Chaos. This time his roar sounded as if though he was in pain. The winds around him were gusting strongly. Bella and the others looked away from the scene barely able to keep their eyes open.

The white wall of wind disappeared and was replaced by a pillar of whiteness that reached up far into the sky throwing white circles off into the distance. Now from within the light eight dark mist like objects oozed their way down towards the ground. I saw one of the black snake like things approaching Bella.

Bella heaved heavily and so did her companions. Suddenly the dark spiraling mists propped their upper form up like a deadly serpent ready to strike, and strike it did. The dark mists suddenly began pouring through their mouths, ears, noses, and even their eyes.

"WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING TO THEM!"

"What do you think Edward? There was only one course of action left. "

"Yeah well run that by me again will you?" Helios sighed.

"The ascended are using all of their collective power to split his soul into eight pieces. These pieces are currently being trapped and imprisoned in immortal bones. Their bones! Separated and weakened like this not one chunk of his soul has enough power to overtake them."

I watched in horror when the dusty blackness filled each of them especially Bella. It was paining for me to watch Chaos' black soul flying and invading Bella. I wished there was something I could do. I wished that this was truly the past and not just its memory. I wanted to run over and yank Bella away and take her place instead.

They looked like they were in pain. They were shaking and throwing their heads around grunting while doing so. I saw their tight grips around each other's hands become even fiercer.

Finally I saw the last bits of the blackness coming from the pillar of light and each and every single last speck of Chaos entered their bodies. Their teeth clenched together while they continued to jerk their heads and torsos. I had to admit that during all of this Bella and Olokun seemed the most collected. They out of all of them held their positions strongly and only made faces of pain occasionally.

The pillar of light began to evaporate. Its brightness decreased in radiance and it began to grow thin. Thinner and thinner it grew and the thinner it got the more clouds began to cover the above sky again. The light or portal the ascended seemed to come through was surely closing. The light from the sky and pillar had all but disappeared.

I heard several thud like noises and I tore my attention back to the vampires that fell over one by one. Like used pieces of garbage almost I thought annoyed. Were they employed by the ascended? I had no idea how that political system worked so best not make any assumptions without any details.

They all lay flat on their backs and stomachs except for Bella. She barely managed to keep her head up while kneeling in the ash and blood of the ground.

Without thinking about it I ran over to her. My arms reached for her and right through her.

"Dammit."

"This is only a memory Edward. She is fine physically."

"Physically?" Helios shook his head at my curious stare.

"F…For…F…" I hear Bella's tiny voice trying to sound out something. I kneeled beside her and hovered my arm over her back.

"Forever…s..s…shall…we…l-live…" Bella's eyes closed and she fell over to the ground. The others seemed to be in a comatose like state.

It was difficult to see her like this. So weak and frail she looked, and so vulnerable. I recalled the fight with the Moriatus in which she was so strong and confident. Even the things she said were said with assurance and pride.

A white flash appeared and the eight bodies in front of me were gone. Helios!

I shook my head exhaling noticeably and rose back to my feet. The scenery though remained. There were still clouds of dust rising from the ground and loud crimson lighting in the distance.

"Not one thank you." I turned around and raised my eyebrows.

"What?"

"Not one word of appreciation. Now do you understand Bella's hatred for humanity? Do you now see her intolerance for your maker? Do you understand?"

"Well if no one ever knew then how can they expect any sort of thank you?"

"That is not the point Edward."

"Then what is?"

Helios cracked a small laugh shaking his head.

"What they sacrificed was higher than anything this world has to offer. Try to compare a demons way of salvation and finding its way back into God's amazing grace to a vampire's version of heaven. All the pain you had to endure, all the solitude, the dark voices in the night… They gave up everything because they had hope in humanity and their own kind. Now you see that there hopes are in vain?

Do you now understand why Bella has such a problem with the one who made you? Carlisle is none appreciative of what he has been given. He cares more for human philosophies than the ones of his own species. There is much beauty in the world of the vampire if one only would open their eyes.

If it hadn't been for these vampires none of you would have been born. They threw away everything and now must watch in horror as the world they love and believe in turns into a more grotesque place with each passing century."

I didn't understand. I couldn't possibly hope to understand. Such a scenario was not imaginable. I couldn't even begin to create the feelings I would have if I had been in one of their places. But I had another issue as it was.

"Why are you showing me all of this? Was it just so I would be wise enough to understand Bella? Do you have any idea how confusing all of this is? You are just dumping one thing after another on me. How am I supposed to deal with all of this? I can't even being to comprehend how I'm suppose to process this."

Helios smiled raising his eyes mockingly.

"You won't have to."

"And why is that?"

Helios walked over to me relaxed and patiently. I kept my eyes firmly on his emerald orbs. I saw his chest grow wide as he inhaled while nodding to himself.

"The time for you to know this has not yet arrived.

When it does you will know, remember and appreciate my mercy.

You won't see me again. Not until the end.

Listen to your sister."

Helios touched my forehead with his index finger again and the white flash and clouds returned.

* * *

"Okay people open your notebooks and have your pens ready."

Mr. Banner with the chalk in his hand began writing down the heading for today's subject; Chordate. Yet again a subject I had studied a great many times over the years. I wondered if school curriculums ever changed.

I stole a quick glance at Bella. Her head rested over her crossed wrists as she stared with boredom at the chalkboard. This was going to be a very long day I though again. I took a look at the clock again over the entry door and noticed the last few seconds moved much faster than before. I had only taken a look perhaps two seconds ago and now another six had passed so quickly. I smiled pleased. It wasn't anything big but it would be a start.

Bella moved and all my attention became fixed on her. I had to watch her like a hawk. She leaned back in her chair and ran her hands down her body to smoothen out her purple blouse. She rested her hands one on top of the other just in front of her on the table.

I scribbled down Mr. Banner's notes quickly to at least create the illusion of interest when suddenly I felt something...

I blinked confused when I felt something rising inside of me. It was a clearing like feel. A sudden urge pulsated through me as if something had struck me. The feeling was peculiar in many aspects. I felt as if though a large burden had been taken off of my shoulders. A release of sorts.

I looked over to Bella. I couldn't explain this sudden change of behavior in me. Though I couldn't see her eyes I suddenly felt this sensation, the need of doing something overdue for a very long time.

My fingers dropped my golden pen and I maneuvered my hand to rest gently above Bella's. I felt her cold hands cringe and saw her wide opened eyes through the blackness of the sun glasses she wore. My thumb moved back and forth on her smooth skin in a comforting notion.

I sighed and smiled.

"Thank you."

**(Author's Note)** – Next chapter will start the Bella and Edward romance. Also, during the next few chapters will discover more about Bella's past. Thank you for all of your past reviews.

**PLEASE REVIEW!**

**Notice - I just had a review and I think I should explain it better in detail conerning Earth so long ago so you guys won't get confused. 8,000 years ago of course there were already modern cities, and man, language, etc. So the question arises to how humanity could forget the chaos that well Chaos caused. Remember, that in this story Chaos nearly depleted all life on Earth and caused such a destruction. He is however a being of higher power and once he was taken care off other higher beings returned the Earth to what it was before he began his destruction. They did this so the world would not remember the horror of that time and so that the existence of vampires and ascended beings themselves would stay off the grid. Helios also explains this vagely. More info on this will follow in future chapters and in the sequels. **


	29. Chapter 28

Ancient Tears

If I had to choose out of the great English dictionary that holds a plethora selection of words I would have to describe today as a stroll in an amusement park located in hell.

After my odd gesture towards Bella at which she responded with nothing but a mere rise of her brow and slight gawking of her jaw everything was moving ahead rather peaceful. But when dealing with an ancient, this ancient in particular, peace is nothing but a disguise until the horror of reality returns. The class was going fine until there were only five minutes of class time left and Mr. Banner allowed the students to talk amongst themselves until the bell rang.

Jessica and Lauren though had made it their objective to continuously torment me today with their idiocy. As soon as Mr. Banner released the strains for chit chat both of them decided to turn around again and begin conversing with Bella to my dismay. This time Jessica was asking Bella about the Halloween blowout coming to Seattle on the 31st.

Everything was going well in the conversation with Bella uttering nothing shorter than a "yes", "no, "hmm," and so on. That was until Jessica asked Bella what she was going as and Lauren decided to become a nuisance and turn her cold shoulder towards Bella.

"So what are you going as?" Jessica had asked her excitedly. She had made it her strange goal to get close to Bella. Apparently at this High School much like any other the rule was that whoever had the most prominent looks was to be selected "Queen Bee", and up until today that was Lauren. However, Jessica thought ignorantly that Bella was a permanent student from today on and that the rest of the female population would follow her lead instead of Laurens.

Bella took a short glance at my direction confused.

"Of what do you speak?" Bella was slowly regaining her somewhat outdated and antique tongue.

"Well the Halloween fest of course silly. Everyone is dressing up as some supernatural freakish like creature. What are you going as? You are going aren't you?"

Bella shrugged once. "Sure…"

"Soooo," Jessica asked with too much perk, "what are you going as?"

Bella twisted her lip bored by her new "latch".

"I'm going as myself…" Lauren giggled rolling her eyes superficially.

"That ought to scare the hell out of em…"

I bit my tongue and repressed a quick growl that mastered itself in the back of my throat. Surprisingly though Bella didn't seem to care. Jessica waved off Lauren's comment and went back to her initial question.

"C'mon you have to be dressing up as something. What would you want to go as? Are you like too embarrassed or something?" Jessica shook her head and used her hands while she talked like presenting an image of her sentences. It was agitating.

Bella sighed silently. She leaned forward crossing her hands in front of her neatly and smiled not revealing her pearly teeth. These were the moments I fretted the most. I had no way of knowing what was to come. It wasn't ideal that I was dealing with a person that lived in the realm of unpredictability.

"A vampire."

My chin dropped shaking to the ground. Is she insane I thought distressed? How in the world can she go for such a notion? She should know better! She's the one that released that enormous speech onto the nomads about secrecy a few weeks back. I can't believe she just did that. Luckily though I detected that both Lauren and Jessica didn't think anything big of it but Jessica instead wanted to add her opinion about what she thought to be a ludicrous choice.

It was after that that Bella decided to threaten Jessica. If I only think about it I want to cringe but sure enough laugh at the same time too.

"Well," Jessica began, "don't you think that's a little too dark? I mean you'd have to like get blood stains all over you, wear a black dress, and get your hair all messed up and crazy, and not to mention put in those ridiculous plastic teeth. You know they'll be choosing a best costume at that gathering and don't you think that being a vampire would be a bad risk?"

Bella smacked her lips and sat up straight in her chair.

"Let me tell you what a bad risk is. You sitting there across from me calling ME a bad risk!"

Jessica backed up in her chair with wide eyes.

"Now, now ladies," I intervened "let's play nicely." I hoped that somehow I could establish myself as the light of reason. Lauren smiled mockingly and saw a way of infringement.

"Edward is right. We shouldn't be so childish."

I rolled my eyes sheepishly. She'd truly do just about anything to get on my good sight or to earn any sort of recognition from me. I threw a swift look at the clock and began counting down the last remaining two minutes hoping that this nightmare would be over soon.

"I didn't mean to offend you or anything." Jessica tried to preserve her seat as the secretary of state to the what she believed to be new queen bee.

"If you had no intention of offending me than why speak at all?"

Oh god… Jessica blinked her short and gimpy lashes surprised hence her being at the insulting end this time. Lauren shook her head and made a disgusted visage towards Bella.

"C'mon Jessica, we don't need this. We have a reputation too."

Bella…

"Yep, and the cold sores to prove it."

After that they both turned back around fuming. I could literally see the white clouds of smoke rising from within their ears like smoke rises from a dragon's nose. I had planned on being initiative and scold Bella on her temperamental gestures towards those two but as hard as I tried I ended up failing miserably. I tried not to laugh…

Second period in world history was going accordingly too… for awhile. Bella again sat back in her chair and played with her fingernails while staring at some portraits of Stonehenge. Everything was smooth until Mr. Hallowell had to ask…

"So, what do you believe it was like living in Victorian England?"

And… cue Bella…

"Stunk like hell, muddy, flees everywhere, open sores…

This one man actually had a sore on his _Mr. Dinky, _and it was so enlarged that.."

I dropped my pen and pad and trapped Bella's head like a bear trap would in my hands. One hand was firmly pressed against her back while the other covered her ever growing mouth. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath trying to calm the storm. When I reopened my eyes I noticed almost everybody staring at us. I smiled.

"Tourette's, people cannot control their actions."

They bought it. Mr. Hallowell nodded still a bit taken with Bella's quiet outburst and went back to teaching his lesson and the rest of the class refocused their attention to him.

When I finally looked back to Bella I saw both her eyebrows slightly trembling, a notion that her chest mimicked. When I removed my hand from above her mouth a slight smiled was plastered across her marble countenance. I guess my agony is her amusement.

Lunch, now lunch was interesting.

We all assembled at our usual table with our props already on the trays. Pizza, chili fries, salads, mixed vegetables, meat loaf, and whatever else the school cafeteria decided to conjure for the day. It grew tiresome to take in the fused aromas of so many different assortments of food that mostly tasted like dirt with sugar on top in our mouths. Bella took her seat next to me and wrapped her arm around my own and leaned against my shoulder. The minutes I registered her touch I felt warmth running through me and my impulses running frantic with electricity. I noticed a small distraction in her and followed the small glances she would occasionally throw across the lunch room.

Ah, of course. Bella was still toying with Lauren's feeble mind. Lauren sat clear across the lunch room but still bit down hard on her apple when she saw Bella latched onto me.

Lunch was progressing normally with everyone pretending to eat. Alice stole many looks at Bella smiling every time she did. Jasper too was fascinated with her. I had been wondering if Bella's venom flowing through his veins had created some sort of connection between the two of them. If he had accompanied us today then perhaps maybe I could have studied it more but I did believe that it was better for him to stay home for the time being.

Suddenly Bella reached down to her tray and picked up a cool ranch Doritos chip and examined it. They all stopped their charades and watched her curiously. Bella hovered the chip in front of her nose smelling the different ingredients encrusted on the chip. She opened her mouth and placed the chip on her tongue and began to chew.

Emmett dropped his fry letting dive into a mixture of ketchup and mustard as we all wondered and deteriorated at the sight of Bella eating human food. We all made faces at this all too strange gesture.

"Eww… How can you eat that?" Rosalie whispered. Bella looked at her surprised still chewing the left over's in her mouth.

"Why not?" Bella asked. Emmett coughed disgusted.

"Well for one what is the point if it can't sustain you properly and second it tastes like gravel?"

Bella shook her head seemingly taking in Emmett's notion. I don't think though that she was considering his words.

"You only believe that to be so because you have never taken a moment to focus on the variety of tastes covered by this form of nourishment. It is true that this crude food cannot give us what we need but there is no reason to consider that it holds no pleasure, even if only for a moment."

We all arched are brows contemplating her sentiment. Human food can't sustain us, and it does indeed tastes like dirt because I've tried it before so where on Earth does the pleasure come from?

"Are you saying you can actually taste it?" Alice leaned forward completely fascinated by Bella. She nodded.

"The taste only lasts for perhaps a millisecond but it is present. Vampires do not concern themselves with this sort of food so they never stopped to experiment with the possibilities. I do also believe that it has something to do with the strength of your pallet before you were reborn."

Bella picked up another potato chip and instead of giving to Alice like I had hoped she held it right before my tightly shut mouth.

"NO thank you," I mouthed quickly. Bella sighed pouting her lips.

"Try it. You cannot say that all human food tastes like earthy like soil?"

"Actually I can because everyti…" I shouldn't have opened my mouth. When I began to speak Bella flicked the chip right into my mouth where it landed on top of my tongue. I closed my mouth with my eyes wincing displeasured by the mere thought of human food in my mouth. The others chuckled.

I gave it a shot. My tongue graced the bottom of the chip and it was like sand mixed with dirt and pepper. I chewed it and the taste morphed into pure dirt with specs of salt in it. I couldn't take it. I took a napkin from my tray and spat it out. I breathed heavily trying to ban the taste from my senses.

"I have no idea where you taste anything but all I could think about was grabbing earth from underneath my feet and stuffing that mushy stuff into my mouth. It was gross."

"Of course it was." I blinked turning my head back to her.

"What?" Bella's lips twitched trying to stay in a hard line.

"You honestly bought that whole vampires can taste food?"

I looked to my brother and sisters who were looking down on the table with all their chests rumbling with silent laughter. OH FOR THE LOVE OF EVERYTHING THAT'S HOLY.

"Get off me," I shrugged Bella's hand away from me to the protest of my mind. I took another napkin and rubbed it across my tongue.

The laughter of the others and Bella were now in full bloom. How is it that I'm always the center of amusement? Am I just that easy of a target? Oh why me?

After that minor and slightly embarrassing incident at lunch the rest of the day was actually quite serene. P.E was bearable since Bella couldn't participate since she lacked the clothing. This I was thankful for. I didn't think that a new world record for the hardest volleyball spike ever played needed to be born today.

After P.E I only had to make it through Trigonometry. Also in this hour everything went fine until the last fifteen minutes. Mike Newton was the cause for the last bit of embarrassment of the day which actually for once wasn't directed towards me. I even had to shed a few laughs over it. Mike sat in front of us and conversed with Jessica Stanley that in return sat in front of him. Suddenly he was shifting his seat and it seemed obvious that he was a bit uncomfortable. However, I never thought he would… Well, let's just say that this was not one of the highlights of attending a human school.

Trying to be inconspicuous I moved my hand over my nose attempting to make it look like I had an itch. Bella on the other hand though had a lot more to say. Her mouth opened wide completely appalled and she stared down Mike through her thick black sun glasses.

"HOW DARE YOU!" Everyone turned around their eyes fixed on Bella. Mike turned around too hoping to see some excitement until the bell would release us. However, to his dismay he saw the attention fixed solely on him.

"Is it proper to pass such foul bodily gases in the presence of others?"

I covered my entire face and turned away. I felt my chest vibrating with laughter that I hadn't felt in years. Bella's appalled expression and the growing redness in Mike's face was too much for me to handle.

"Ey, did we pass a little gas Mikey?" Tyler Crowley yelled from across the room and the entire class burst out with laughter.

* * *

I entered the rainy breeze of the parking lot and inhaled the freshness lingering in the atmosphere that was only slightly tainted by the all too appealing aroma of humans. I still couldn't get the image out of my head and it still made me laugh. Alice popped up beside me smiling and giggling as well.

"What's funny?" Emmett asked emerging on my other side. I couldn't answer him though. Every time I thought about it I couldn't do anything but laugh. Rosalie dragged alongside Emmett also wondering about the amusement of Alice and me.

"Guess it wasn't such a bad day after all huh?" Alice asked in-between chuckles.

After surviving the first half of the day, the embarrassment during lunch, and then sitting back to be entertained during the last period it actually summed up not be so bad. Especially considering that I was able to spend the entire day with Bella. I got to watch her move with so much poise and grace that it almost seemed to be that not even a vampire could attract such elegance. I liked how the teenagers all stared at Bella as she moved. How she made her hair swing so brilliantly in the winds and slight breezes, how she positioned herself, the way she knew how to move her body in synch to create perfect poise, and all else was alluding to them.

"No Alice… I guess today was not so bad. It was almost even a bit fun." Alice returned my smile.

We reached the car and I unhinged the locks for them to get in. Rosalie and Alice were stowing their bags in the car and Emmett already nestled himself in the backseat. I leaned against the car waiting for them to get in when my mind began to wander. What will happen when we get home? Will Bella seclude herself back to that little room at the end of the hall? Will I not see her again for the next few days? I wished she had a more sociable nature. But maybe I just thought that because I didn't know her.

I closed my eyes feeling peace and breathed in the fresh air as it passed over my face. I had to think of Bella, and the irony of it all. For so many years females have always tried their hardest to be as flirtatious as they could with me. So many times was I forced to turn them away with the utmost care I could master not wishing to hurt their feelings.

Now, so many years later, I have found a woman who is as beautiful as the waking world itself. She was softer than the clouds and the angles, and yet shines with a pride that surpasses even that of a goddess. Bella was such a strong woman with a mighty will as well, a will that not even the strongest vampire could hope to bend.

"Edward! HEY, snap out of it," Emmett's voice interrupted my small moment of peace. I leaned off the car and looked at him annoyed. He was standing outside of the car again looking around frantically.

"What is it now?" I asked confused. Oh no…

With but one look into his thoughts I saw the cause of his distress. Rosalie was viewing the area too, searching. Alice on the other hand sat in the dark with her eyes far away in the future. Darn it! Where was Bella?

How could I have not noticed that she left our side? I had made it my responsibility to watch over her and now I lost her. My conscious though I felt was trying to calm me. It couldn't be my entire fault. That vampire moved so fast that I wouldn't be surprised if she was already back home in her room. I threw my eyes over the entirety of the parking lot.

The teenagers were rushing to their cars trying to dodge the faint rain drops that began pouring down from a gray sky. I searched swiftly and nervously through the crowds of teens trying to find some sign of Bella. I searched their minds too and used their eyes to see every inch of the cement lot but absolutely nothing. Their minds held no information whatsoever. They were too preoccupied with getting to their cars and getting home, upcoming tests, the Halloween fest in Seattle, their favorite TV's shows would be on tonight too.

There was nothing to do but retrace my steps. I pushed off the car worried to where she could have gone and rounded back the way we came. She had been gone for awhile. The only scents I could detect where my own, Emmett's, Rosalie's, and Alice's. Why couldn't I have noticed it before?

Crossing the entire parking lot did not help one bit. Bella must have ditched us right after we exited the building, and I was right. I had gone back to the entrance and tried to be casual, and tried to appear as if I was waiting for somebody. I stuck my hands in the pockets of my jeans to set the scene better and not to arise any suspicion when I finally detected her scent.

She had left the building with us indeed, but as soon as we stepped down the three small steps our scents parted ways. My own scent and my families lead to my car while Bella's lead… straight into the woods. Go figure…

I looked through the children and finally made eye contact with Emmett and whispered to him knowing he would hear.

"She went into the woods." Emmett nodded.

"Think we should go get her?" I churned my lip debating whether or not to take them with me or to be selfish and find Bella all by myself. Yet, my past experiences with encountering her in the woods alone usually resulted in a history lesson or being cornered.

"No," Alice's voice chimed from the car. "Let Edward get her himself. We'll go ahead and go home. He can find her himself."

I still hadn't figured out Alice yet. She was a genius at hiding her thoughts from me. But even a genius has her dark days. When Alice spoke I saw small flickers emerging from the darkness of her mind. For but a small portion of a second I saw a rainy meadow in a dark forest with the flowers dripping heavily with water. Yet somehow there were trees rustling even though there was no wind. I saw someone balled up on the meadow ground.

That was it. I don't know why she was trying to hide her vision from me but soon enough I would get to the bottom of it. That rainy meadow, judging by its size I would guess it was just about as big as the one I knew. As a matter of fact it could have been that very one.

"Sure you don't want any help Edward," I depicted Emmett's words through the chatters of teenagers. I took another quick look at Alice and saw her shaking her head at me. She began to creep me out.

"Err… No. I guess not. You guys go on home. I'll go find Bella and will be home whenever I get there."

Emmett shrugged his broad shoulders, _if you're sure, _and got into the driver's seat. He purred the car alive and hit the gas racing out of the parking lot. The last I heard from them as they pulled out of the lot was a mental note from Alice.

_Please don't forget my jacket!_

I chuckled when I saw Alice's vision of her favorite jacket just tossed off to the side in the woods along with the sun glasses she gave Bella. I guess Bella was done pretending. The attitude and character she showed all day really didn't suit her. I myself found it hard to believe that I preferred her more cryptic and mysteriousness ways over her "human style" fashion.

I walked at a regular pace through the parking lot as the students still filed out and chattered away about what they considered important. I reached the edge of the parking lot quickly while glancing at all the old and bumped out cars covered with rust and filth. Sometimes I tried to guess the years in which the cars where build to figure out which one of all was the oldest.

I looked over my shoulder maintaining a low profile and noticed that preoccupation was heavy in the air and made a quick dash into the tree line. As soon as I reached the moss covered plants I smiled when I saw Alice's vision coming true and discovered her jacket and glasses simply thrown to the side. It was her own fault for purchasing a $700 designer jacket, and a pair of $200 sun glasses and then loaning it out to someone who could care less what the brand was. I picked up her accessories and trailed Bella's scent that lead deep into the thickness of the forest.

While I ran I contemplated on what was to come next. What would happen to me this time? Which body part would hurt long into the night now? Was I going to hear another story? My liking was towards Bella's stories. Even her small tale about the legendary vampire Celest was absolutely fascinating. Then again, come to think of it, everything she said was in fact marvelous. The way she used her words, twisted them to represent something other than the obvious, the way she could create lines between lines was very wise. She must truly carry the experience of many millennia.

After a short run through the forest I noticed a faint space right ahead where the trees weren't as close together. I slowed my pace to a jog and eventually just a walk. The last thing I wanted to do was startle her but then again she probably heard me coming her way when I was still back at school.

I rested Alice's items near a tree hoping that I wouldn't forget them later and took a curious glance between the trees and into a small clearing in which Bella stood looking up towards the sky. The clearing was nothing special. Just a few flower patches, and some humongous branches dangling of trees. My meadow was much grander than this.

What was she doing? Her head slightly moved from left to right and back again. A notion she repeated several times. I could hear her take in deep breaths filling her lungs with the freshness of the air produced by the trees. Maybe she allowed the gentle winds to wash over her face. Who knows with Bella? I wish I could penetrate her thoughts and see what laid there. How much history, people, places, and events; she was by the lack of better words a walking talking history book.

Suddenly there was a strange whistle flowing through the clearing. The trees began to rustle their leaves unexpectedly and very softly. There was no wind.

Bella chuckled lightly to my surprise. It was then when I remembered her tale of the Lanteans. The Lanteans, Bella's people, had the uncanny ability to actually commune with trees, and nature as a whole. She stated that she was incapable of returning a voice to their stories but was indeed quite able to hear their words. So were the trees speaking to her?

There was yet another new sound, a very chiming like humming. I couldn't depict words but it almost sounded like some form of melody. Were the trees singing?

"The dreams of trees, and the song of the green; as old as those that have already sailed forth to crimson horizons. They whisper soothingly into the hearts of those that still believe, and shower with endless sparkles of rainbow drops descending from white shores.

Though gone they may be and flown away to golden lights with enlightened minds, their breaths are winds that spiral peacefully through those they have left behind.

Ancient melodies radiate from these green and ancient giants, brothers in heart, and children by hand, they know the hymns of old.

So far away they have flown where no mortal coil may reach, and yet, withdrawn in darkness and doubt, and fear. So many little things… so many little hushed whispers… Why do they sob with waters of enraged content?

Can you not hear them?"

Bella pulled her famous stance by throwing her face over her shoulder to look directly at me! I swallowed nervously and left my safe zone behind the tree to join her out in the open. As I walked towards her I listened to the soothing whistles that blew through the trees trying to make out words but there weren't any.

"Vampires are very sensitive beings. Though many of you do not realize, it is possible for you to commune on a level of telepathy with the green much like Lanteans did. All you must do is open your mind."

"How does one do that?" I reached Bella and stood firmly next to her looking down into her hypnotic red eyes.

"Relinquish the bonds that tie you to humanity. It is that lingering desire for mortal needs that negates your ability to hear them. Mother Gaia is not very fond of humans."

Understandable I thought agreeing. Deforestation, acid rain, global warming, pollution, and many more atrocities would cause such negative thinking from nature. Releasing the bonds that still held me to my human past would mean losing part of who I was. What would I be like then? Would I be like Bella? But then again, according to her she was never human but rather a much more advanced form of what humanity could become. I decided to change the subject.

"What did you think of today? Did you have any moments pleasure?" A delicate smile and serene shadow moved across Bella's face.

"Your mortification was rather entertaining and charming."

I took a large and deep whiff of air through my nose and released it back through my mouth. I knew, I knew it. My pain was her gain. At least it was safe to assume that there was a sense of humor in her as grotesque as it may be.

"However, besides that I still cannot see what it is that appeals to you following along such a deluded path."

"It's not necessarily because I find high school or human affairs appealing. It's more the fact that we have to do what we can in order to fit in where we are. We don't want to attract any suspicion. We do what we have to in order to survive."

Bella cocked her head to the side with a sad expression on her silver face. Her dark blood like eyes softened to my response.

"If you were to finally accept your renovations there would be no reason to live such a pitiful existence. You would not have to hide amongst your own kind. Favor it or not, but you are no human. The day will come in which you will see that very fact."

"Carlisle wouldn't dream of living amongst other vampires that feed on the blood of humans. His entire being rejects the idea of harming a human. I don't believe that many vampires would accept our way of life as is."

Bella smiled soothingly and shook her head glowing at me.

"Oh Edward… You are so young and frail. What if I were to tell you that there was a sanctuary that exists between the realm of humanity and that of vampires? A place in which your believes would never be looked down upon and could freely glide across the firmament."

I snorted. "There is no such place Bella." Bella shook her head again, slowly.

"So young, so impudent, so… naïve." I blinked astonished.

"You can't be serious. You can't tell me that such a place exists." Bella smiled.

"It is a safe haven for all those that wish to sail beyond the stars. You will find no evil there, no greed, humanity, lust for power, disbelieve, racism, nor murder. You will instead find light and the wisdom of millennia passed since before even my own time."

I took my hands out of my pocket staring at Bella dumbfounded. Was this suppose to be another joke at my expense or was she serious? Bella's eyes and face seemed softer than they had ever been before while she spoke of this sanctuary.

"What… what sort of place could this be?"

"A place in which when the sun shows her golden face over the eastern trees will set everything aglow. You are so ignorant to the magnificence that we harbor in our world that your mind could not even imagine a clear image of that of which I speak."

"Well.. where is it?" My eyes shook with anticipation. If there was such a place then I wanted to go there. I'm sure that Carlisle would feel the same way. What vampire wouldn't?

"The ruins of a city destroyed over 8,000 years ago cannot be simply journeyed to. This sanctuary demands your enlightenment. No one may enter the city without passing the tests. Remember, courage, wisdom, and fearlessness will guide you on that path. I have said it before and I indeed meant it Edward, YOU, have great potential.

However, to satisfy your curiosity I will tell you that this place exists on the African continent. It is hidden deep within the darkest of emerald jungles. It is surrounded by evils that you must conquer in order to reach your own salvation."

It sounded dangerous. Africa then? Somehow I was not surprised.

"Tell me Bella, what is this place called?"

She blinked smiling brilliantly.

"Elysium, the ruins of the once great vampire metropolis."

This is not the first time I heard her mention that term.

"Ruins you say?" Another sad expression traveled along the edges of her perfect face.

"Yes. But believe me that since its destruction it has become more powerful in spiritual guidance than it was before. It is a sight that holds a scar of great historic importance. So many of our kind have departed from there, and so many more have sailed to white shores; ascended. There have been so many in search of our legend that failed the three tests and were dipped in darkness and ultimately fell into the shadows. Only those of worth may enter the city."

"So… you actually believe that I am of worth?"

Bella's smile fainted. Suddenly a weary or tired expression moved along her face and she looked to the ground. Her eyes from where I could see acquired a faraway look. Her head fell further almost shameful like. The wind brought with it a new breeze that silently glided between the two of us twirling Bella's beautiful caramel locks in its path. There was a cracking like noise and I found its origin quickly in Bella's hands that balled up into fists at her side. They shook violently and eventually I saw small drips of venom emerging from in-between her fingers.

"Bella…" Unwillingly my hands reached her arms. "What are you doing? Stop hurting yourself," I whispered. She didn't answer. Her chest began to expand as she inhaled quickly and exhaled even swifter.

I ducked cautiously while still holding on to her and tried to examine her face through the mahogany waterfalls of hair. Slowly and curiously I moved closer until I saw her pain stricken face.

Her eyes were shut tightly while her pale face trembled. Her lips shivered trying to hold a straight line but failed miserably. Her delicate red lips parted slightly releasing a sob. She hastily closed them again probably preventing any more to come out. Her brows were pushed up against each other trembling too.

"Wh…whats wrong?"

She didn't answer again.

Without warning Bella stepped closer to me resting her hands on either side of my chest and leaned her head against me with my chin just above her head.

I couldn't move. This was too unexpected. Her sweet aroma filled me. The scent of freesias, lavender, and jasmine's soared inside of me setting everything in their wake on fire once more. My silent heart throbbed wanting to come back alive again so it could beat its musical tone just for the woman whose face was only inches from it. I closed my eyes trying to control all the emotions striking their way through me. These emotions were still so new and foreign. They had been dormant for so long simply awaiting the arrival of someone that could ignite them with life.

"I… I feel…so betrayed…"

I tried to calm my breathing when Bella spoke.

"As if though… I wandered into the dream… of a dream… FOR SO MANY YEARS I HAVE LISTENED TO THE RUSTLING OF LEAF, PEDAL, AND STEM FOR BUT ONE CHANCE TO HEAR YOUR WHISPER…" Bella began to sob much harder.

"I..hee-ear their voices… all of their voi-oi-ce's… Yet yours remains hidden from me…

And now… seeing this… him… he who seems as if though your reflection in the water… that has come to life… A VAMPIRE. As if you had been one for all these years… and.. h-h-have hidden yourself from me…"

Bella's knees buckled and she began to slide to the ground. I went with her wrapping my arms around her holding her close to me. She buried her face in my chest continuing to sob hard. I sat on the ground encircling Bella and cuddling her close to me. I felt almost dirty for somehow taking advantage of whatever was going on so I could hold her.

"Bella, who are you talking to?" I whispered carefully into her ear. I became frightened when her sobs grew louder and more out of control. Bella, shaking, raised her head from my chest and looked at me with a despairing grimace. I put my hands on her shoulders worried about this sudden outburst of feelings from her.

"You… you… are not…HIM…"

My pain over her despair faltered and my expression became blank as a sudden harsh and cruel realization flew across the mountains, desserts, and oceans hitting me right in the gut. Him… Bella… was already in love. But, NO! She talked as if though… WAIT!

The voices she mentioned… The voices of trees, plants… and the… the life stream that contained the souls of all those that came before and that were unable to ascend according to her. Lanteans had the power to hear them… If Bella said that she is unable to hear… his… voice in the life stream and she was intentionally listening to it knowing that he…

Horror impacted me like a meteor from high above.

He's dead.

"I'm… I'm… sorry… Bella." She closed her eyes shaking her head and crying.

As if his reflection in the water came to life… I look just like him. Suddenly green eyes invaded my memory and I saw a transparent figure standing in my own thoughts; Helios.

I couldn't put my finger on it. Something was blocking me from uncovering what I needed to know. Helios, somehow I knew that name when it appeared inside of me. That apparition I saw… It couldn't possibly be.

I hugged Bella again encircling her close in my arms. I rested my face against her head. I wasn't the first then; of course I wasn't the first to love this amazing woman. What was transpiring here today I would never forget.

Beneath all the apparent cruelty, toughness, bitterness that were all part of a thick and gigantic barrier that isolated Bella's true self from the cold vampire on the exterior collapsed. The feelings hidden within emerged and everything that was build up for many unknown years now spilled over the surface. She continued to weep into my chest while I continued to hold her.

Pain began to blossom inside of me as well. She loved once, she had someone she called her own. Though gone he may be her heart was still lingering on his memory. The sobs and her frailty were signs enough for me to understand that she once loved very hard but fate tore it asunder.

Though I still didn't truly know who Bella really was and if it was possible for her to one day embrace me with the same feelings she had for Helios I at least learned today one aspect of her character. I learned what slept beneath her shell deep within her marble chest, underneath the pain, sorrow, and the shame…

A broken heart.

**(Authors Note)** - In the next few chapters Edward and Bella's relationship will begin to bloom more, and we'll also learn more about the Moriatus and the wars of the past. Of course we will also learn tons more about Bella's past. Also, the Cullens will notice some strange occurences in Seattle.

**I'm looking for a new Beta Reader**. If you are interested please mention so in your review since I check reviews more than PM's.

Please note that I will expect the Beta Reader to have some Grammer skills but also have the leniancy not to tell me what I should do with my story in terms of how the plot should progress. Thanks.

**Please Review** and let me know what you think. I take postive and negative reviews like a beast so you won't hurt my feelings :)!


	30. Chapter 29

Faith

How long have we been sitting here now? The clouds passed by and over me with slow velocity, taking their time, like they were curious to what was happening down below. Tiny drizzles of rain befell us and tickled my face with a clear and cool element. The trees rustled their leaves slightly even though no one small breeze of wind was gliding through this small meadow. They were speaking and whispering amongst each other. They knew who we were, what we were, and what we were capable off. More importantly, they knew Bella.

I glanced between the trees trying to distinguish once more some sort of sound, melody, rhythm, or even electric currents in the air. What was it like to speak to them or to have a full conversation with them? I stretched out my legs though there was no reason while I lay on the ground, and stole a quick look at Bella.

She sat next to me on the ground with her knees balled up against her chest and her arms around them. She stared straight ahead at the trees and yet her expression was blank or rather more tired than anything. We had been sitting like this for at least two hours now while neither one of us spoke.

I still couldn't accept the cruel facts I had learned just hours ago. My stomach churned when I only thought about the life warping words that spilled over Bella's lips. Although they were sounds of chaotic babbling the message they delivered I could still understand. Long ago, a very long time ago there was someone that Bella called hers, and another that called Bella his. The image of the transparent apparition I kept on seeing over the past few weeks would not leave my weary head. His image continued to throb strongly in my mind not wanting to depart.

His name was Helios, Helios Nosamielle. I didn't understand to how I would know that name or if it was just a simply a guess on my part but somehow I felt that the name was not alien to me. He was the one wasn't he? He was the one she loved, and then, he died. But why and how? Was he ever a vampire? No, he wasn't.

Bella had looked at me and said that it was as if though he betrayed her and he had been a vampire for all these years. She felt so because I looked like he did and I was a vampire. Oh no, I believe he expired before Bella became a vampire.

"Fate is strange…" After an insufferable long dry spill of silence Bella finally uttered her first words. She shifted her seat and closed further into her ball.

"Why so?" I couldn't even begin to guess her reasoning.

Bella turned her head revealing her sad stricken face. Dark dust like shadows bore beneath her crimson eyes that slowly hypnotized and bound me under their mystical spell.

"I searched my memories, recalled them, and relived them to find answers. I was surprised to have found what I sought. Beneath the horrors of my own past, the sickness, and tragedies its difficult to excavate the smaller things."

"And…?" I leaned over to her a bit closer curios to what she would divulge next.

Bella seemed hesitant swallowing nervously before she spoke. She showed a whole new side.

"A few weeks ago when I first arrived here I was too preoccupied with the nomadic vampires you faced to truly examine the possibilities but now I am certain. This year of this Earth is not the first in which I encountered Carlisle."

I rose from my relaxed position and situated myself next and closer to Bella. Many random thoughts flew through my brain picking out the possible outcomes and questions that evolved there. Yet again she had managed to surprise me entirely and had peaked my greatest interest.

"You've met Carlisle before? Why did you have trouble remembering then?"

Bella shrugged her shoulders innocently. "It was not an event of great importance so I did not perceive it as one I should definitely remember extensively."

"Well… then why didn't Carlisle himself remember meeting you? I would assume that it would have been hard for him to forget _you._"

"He has no recollection of my memory. He never realized that he was almost struck down only minutes after he was infused with the venom.

Carlisle cannot recall ever meeting me because at the time of our greeting he was too focused on the venom flowing through his veins."

"You… you were there when he was changing?" Bella nodded just once.

Huh… fate really is strange. I guess that phrase Helios kept reciting about how we are all connected wasn't as deluded as I had first believed.

"The year read 1666 A.D. At the time I was in Europe, Italy to be exact when words were carried over the winds of a new world coven that had been formed in London, England. I was told by a nomad called Charles that they had been invoking the ancient believe in humans again concerning that our kind does indeed exist. Their ways were too drastic and far too public. It was a risk.

I remember telling the little birdie who told me this not to travel to Volterra and inform the Volturi. The matter in London I perceived as far too delicate to be handled by the likes of Aro and his brothers; especially that dimwitted baboon Caius. I told the nomad to go north and away from Italy so the chance of the Volturi discovering this would be of lesser chance. Furthermore, withholding such vital information that threatens our existence could have meant the death of Charles.

I had only known him for twenty minutes and already I cared whether or not he lived or died…"

Bella shook her head smiling at her memories. I was completely fixed on Bella again. The story of how she actually met Carlisle while he was changing was fascinating. But more than that, I loved this opportunity to learn about her ancient past.

"I caught a ship that departed from France and that would carry me across the ocean to England, a place in which I enjoyed spending most of my time."

"You took a ship? Wouldn't it have been faster if you swam?" Bella chuckled and then smiled at me.

"It was the civilized thing to do. Besides, that rogue group of vampires wasn't going anywhere. They established a permanent seat through exposure. It meant that they wanted to be caught."

"Why on God's good earth would they want that?" Bella closed her eyes tiredly and somewhat disappointed.

"To be blunt, because they had nothing better to do. Immortality though powerful and mesmerizing at first becomes quite taxing after a few decades or centuries. Never being able to move on, glide around freely in the open, and the cruel fate of never being known has the power to drive our kind insane."

"They were… bored? Is that what you're trying to say?"

"That could be a justified explanation. However, I believe that it was not boredom that caused them to scream out for their own deaths. Some of us grow very weary of this life, and some bear the pain, sadness, and despairing thoughts of the life that could have been. To watch the people you once loved dying around you is a most unpleasant exercise. I believe you already know this but some vampires do not have the stamina for eternal life."

I didn't have it either. "Understandable."

"Returning to the tale, I was on that ship only for a few weeks before it finally made port in London. Of course while I was onboard a strange new plague had struck the passengers causing a few to… disappear. What can I say, though I no longer feel the thirst the memory of it ignites certain needs occasionally.

I also remember enjoying the fashion of those olden days. No one threw you a suspicious glance if you wore but a dark robe.

I traveled to Westminster Palace to review the cases and discussion of the Parliament that met there. From their discussions concerning the abnormal activities there I gathered the information I needed to befall the rogues with the correct path of judgment. Exposing your vampire brothers and sisters always bears fatal consequences Edward so if I were you I would never even attempt to do so."

Bella gave me a stern look; scolding was a better word actually. I nodded agreeing and vowing never to put any vampires at risk especially now that I knew Bella was one of them.

"It didn't take me long to track them down. It was like following a visible trail of blood down the medieval streets of London. Their scents had been imprinted on just about every door, barrel, apple, and cloth I could find. They were severely active. It was then when I picked up the scent of a vampire I had encountered before. His name was Santino.

Somehow I wasn't surprised by that revelation. Santino had always been one to strife for mischief. Yet, somehow I was still surprised to see that it was him who caused such misery. He too knew better than to expose us.

In the past Santino had been very diligent in forwarding the teachings of the ancients but he grew tiresome of it. He had been a vampire for eight hundred years at the time, and I felt compelled to end his reign.

I was passing down several streets with the scents in front of my feet growing stronger and stronger. Many of them were of vampires who had just recently entered our life. I could still smell their own blood infused with that of their venoms. Still, I do not truly know what Santino's intentions were back then but I guessed that like so many others he wanted it to just end.

While passing down the streets I was temporarily halted in my pace by a small group of humans that had gathered themselves in front of a chapel. I was already bound to leap over the building and to continue my search when I abruptly overheard their conversation. I was amazed.

Never would I have believed that mere mortals would actually discover a true vampire covenant in their midst. But they were fools. They were blinded by the demented stories of other European nations and their folklore on defeating a vampire. Pitchforks, torches, stakes, hammers, and many other crude devices they had would not even scratch one small surface of the diamond skin.

I was curious though. I wanted to see how they would handle the situation once they realized that their methods would prove useless. I remember that scenario well however…tsk.."

Bella shook her head laughing to herself. I was still trying to process the fact that she was present during Carlisle's transformation. Bella continued chuckling to herself.

"The smell of rat shit, decaying blood, horse, and humans hunting vampires. What WAS the world coming to I had thought back then.

The head of the group sounded intelligent and from what he himself had gathered seemed to have actually discovered true vampires in the sewers of London. By this I was surely enough yet again very surprised. They began running down the dark and cold streets of that antique time. I already knew that some of them would not return.

It plagued me for a but a few seconds thinking of whether or not I should stop them hence I could foretell their fate yet it was no longer in my nature to assist humans. I lost faith in them long ago.

I followed them silently passing in the shadows as they raided the streets yelling, chanting and holding their torches high up in the air. At one point I was wondering if they even knew where they were going but the further they went the stronger a fresher scent of vampires became.

After an insufferable large amount of time I noticed a figure appearing out in front of them from beneath the ground. I did not see it directly but they must have emerged from a gully. There weren't many of them but they were all fresh younglings. I saw three of them emerging and taking off down the street. I wonder if they knew how many there truly were since the other two had moved far too fast for them to have seen.

But the closer they walked, and the tighter the space between me and them grew I could hear the rambling and swift climbing of another. The scent I immediately recognized; Santino.

He surfaced from the hole and noticed the pack of humans close on his tail. They drew their pitchforks and torches and screamed many blasphemous things, murderer, monster, demon, Lucifer, son of the devil, thing, creature of the night, and many more. But never once did I hear the term "vampire".

I could see in Santino's blackness that he was very thirsty. I do not understand why he was so undernourished. Perhaps he had not had a chance to hunt, perhaps he was attempting to starve himself into insanity, or it could have been that he knew one of us was coming.

He tried to flee but the thirst overpowered him and the monster within won. He returned and ensnared the leader of the group quickly and began to feed on him."

Carlisle…

"He began to feed, and I knew the frenzy would be intense by now however, I had to intervene. His publicity was far to revealing. It is one thing to show off your skills in front of dimwitted humans who are so ignorant and disbelieving that they would not believe vampires existed if you showed them the truth of the venom. But Santino made the mistake in feeding right in front of them which would prove their suspicions to be true.

I emerged from the shadows revealing my presence in the lunar curtains of the moon. I growled silently so not even a small mouse could have heard but Santino did. He looked up still feeding and finally took notice of my presence. His eyes grew wide as I had predicted. They had regained color and were rebounding to their natural crimson state. At the sight of me he dropped the half drained carcass to the ground. He knew though that I would not act unless the humans were gotten rid off.

He gripped another one of them with his marble claws and took off into the distance with fear dripping heavily, and leaving me a trail to pursue at a later time. The remaining group of humans took off after him. He was already over a mile away.

I stepped out in front of the body he had dumped to the cold ground. The man was turning and writhing in pain on the stone road. His back was turned to me and therefore I could never recall his identity. I saw streams of blood running from his neck and became quite tempted myself. The venom within the man had already begun breaking down his regular cells and was pumping through his heart chambers so there was no going back for him. The venom's steaming like noise could already be heard.

He was crawling towards a small opening in the ground; a cellar I realized. I remember the rotten smell of potatoes floating strong in the air. His hands were shaking as he reached for the ledges of the doors. He would fall several steps down into the dark abyss of that decaying place I had though bemused.

It was then when I decided it had gone on long enough. I stepped in-between his spread legs and unveiled my hand from underneath my robe and poised my fingers like a spear ready to strike hard and fatally. I had every intention to end his existence. I would be doing him a favor; it would be an act of charity I had thought. He would never know the fear, the pain, and torment of immortality.

It was in that small moment however, that microsecond of clarity when something very peculiar occurred to me."

Bella got a very faraway look in her eyes. She was staring off at the trees though she was buried deep within her own memories. I can't believe how close she came to killing Carlisle.

"Out of all the thoughts roaming my mind IT stood out the most. I should have been going after Santino. I should have finished off the creature he left behind. A newborn with no master, he would surely be a savage my mind had screeched but…

You see every person I have ever viewed during the transformation could not withhold the agonizing screams of pain while their bodies morphed into a foreign entity. But this man in front of me did not echo one single plea, scream, or cry. It was this that stopped me.

In that one moment of hesitation I felt a tremendous aura. A power and will that was as strong as my own. I had never been able to identify anybody with myself. There was an illuminating starry glow about this transforming man that stopped me dead in my tracks. A light that outshone any other that I had ever seen in any of my kin. I could literally sense the strength vibrating off of this mortal. The electricity in the air was indeed strange too. As if fate was intervening, trying to stop me from ending his life. Perhaps, it was _them_; those that already sailed to white shores. Oh well, it is of no consequence now."

My eyes shook timidly as a new light entered the darkness within. Carlisle unknowingly had such a devastating effect on an ancient one. I smiled. A light that outshone all others that Bella had never seen before.

"I should not have acted the way I did. I should have ended it then but something was stopping me. Perhaps it was that part of me that still held hope for humanity. Maybe it was the selfishness inside of me thinking that he would become a reliable soldier for Elysium. Ha, who knows?

During the time I was contemplating he had made it halfway over the ledge. The small wooden ledge was actually slowing his pace by trapping him and securing a place underneath his stomach and above his crotch. It was then when I decided.

I placed my boot covered food on his and gave him a fairly decent nudge and he fell down into the cellar landing on a small hill of rotting food. After that I took hold of the two cellar doors and took one last glance at the changing vampire who outlived his time. I closed the doors and installed the lock. I took it between my hands and crushed the iron so it could no longer be unlocked.

I fervently hoped I had not made a fatal mistake. Mentally I wished him good fortune and sent a silent prayer to the ascended hoping that he would one day pilgrimage to Elysium.

After that I never truly gave it anymore thought which I am surprised by. I would think I'd remember such a bright light but I guess there were other things of importance for me to bargain with.

After shutting him away in the cellar it was time to go after Santino. I had already come to a decision about him and his own fate. He was a threat and risked exposure of our world and I knew he was bound to do so again. I had no choice but to justify the ending of his life as his punishment. Considering that I knew it was what he wanted I harbored no ill will towards myself.

I found him… hiding in a cemetery inside of a mausoleum. I opened the doors quite dramatically. My first sight of him was a vision of a vampire that realized his own fate. He shivered and fear reeked heavily in the room. There was a rosary in his hand which he held tightly over his stone heart. He whispered short prayers on each pebble of this mortal instrument. I was quite taken to see HIM with it.

He opened his trembling eyes. At the sight of me he flinched and turned his head away. I threw a quick glance at the corner of the mausoleum and saw the drained body of the man he had kidnapped. I blinked my eyes and he body was ablaze.

Santino trembled even worse.

You will be my liberator then he asked me. I approached him slowly thinking about each step I took not wanting to make his death to fearful for him. He should die without fear in his heart and release all his burdens I had thought. With both of his hands he held the wooden cross of the rosary close to him.

God… he whispered and looked directly at me. Our messiah Jesus Christ he mumbled, and then God again. I looked overhead at the dusty altar which held a grand cross covered in cobwebs. Then I looked up to the ceiling and past it at the night sky awaiting some sort of heavenly strike. But nothing came. I looked back down into his horror infested eyes and shook my head while whispering the last words he would ever hear.

No God. His life was over then. A quick and decisive blow through his chest followed by a quick slash of my fingers that beheaded him resulted in his end. The fires followed and consumed his diamond body. Yet another victim that will bind my wings forever to this world…"

I grabbed the small bridge of my nose sighing defeated like. I was in no position to whisper any words of comfort to her. I couldn't possibly compare any of my own experiences to Bella's. No living and known vampire could manifest such experiences. An instinct that is thousands of years old versus one of lesser quality and age stands just as strong as a small cube of ice would in a volcano.

It got quiet then again. Bella seemed to have said all that she wanted and retreated back into her unbreakable shell.

I had nothing to say. What would one say? So many years spent in the utter depths of ruin and darkness. But why would she choose such a life? Why couldn't she be known? What is it that whirls her in a sea of secrecy? What could be of such importance?

"You see…?" I shivered surprised when she spoke up again.

"If I had vanquished Carlisle like I was suppose to you would not have lasted this long. You would have perished during the influenza and your soul and mind would have been returned to the life stream.

We are all connected… somehow... in some way…"

I adjusted my seat trying to make myself more comfortable and scooted closer to Bella. I wiped the palm of my hand against my jeans to remove the small bits of grass on them. Courageously I placed my other hand gently on her shoulder smiling and tried to commune words of softness to her.

Bella shrugged my hand off with her own whispering agitated while she did.

"Don't do that. I have no need for your damn pity."

I passed air from deep in my lungs through my mouth agitated myself. Never could I do anything right I thought shaking my head. Suddenly my lashes blinked repeatedly in front of my eyes when from the midst of nothingness a new though entered my calm thoughts.

"Why haven't you ascended?" It was a bit sudden I had to admit myself but when something ignites your mind so swiftly it demands an answer almost immediately.

From what I knew of ascension it would only make sense to hypothesize that Bella should have _sailed _or _flown away _long ago. I didn't exactly know how old she was but from what I understood she was well beyond the limit.

Bella looked to me annoyed pursing her lips in the process. She coughed one short laugh and leaned her head over to her shoulder.

"I am no longer able to reach a higher plane of existence."

"And why is that?" I asked curiously. Bella smacked her lips very bothered by the subject. Must be a very sore topic I though intrigued.

"One can only ascend with purity in their hearts. One can only achieve this by choosing a side. Furthermore it is necessary to release ones burdens in order to do this. In addition, you must take the three essentials of ascension with you on the journey; courage, wisdom, and fearlessness."

I raised my brows surprised, "You're not pure?"

Bella threw me a lightning fast glare with deep shadows moving in beneath her dark lashes.

"No." Though her face was sour and enraged the word she uttered was with an extremely sensitive sadness in her tone. She blinked her eyes wearily as is she had said or given all she could.

There was a question burning a monumental hole deep within my thoughts and I decided that it was about time that I unleashed the chains that held it in place and away from my tongue.

"How did Helios die?"

There were so many scenarios in my head concerning his demise. Did he drown? Was he crushed by falling structures? Did he perhaps indeed become a vampire but was somehow murdered or as Bella put, did not have the stamina for immortality?

Bella slowly turned her head to me with her eyes so wide and astonished that I thought they were going to pop out. Her cherry like red orbs vibrated with fear, an element I never thought I would detect in Bella. She parted her lips, shivering, and moving her eyes up and down my length. She began shaking her head.

"No… not again." I squinted my eyes confused.

"What?" Bella unexpectedly rose from her seat on the ground and stood up straight. I mimicked her notion standing right in front of her and looking down in her grief covered eyes.

"You could not possibly ask me this."

I had promised myself that I would become more adamant in my ways to secure the answers I wanted so I was in fact for once going to keep my promise.

"Why not? Are you afraid of your own memories?"

Bella's eyes that withdrew back behind her lids grew again before she turned away from me. Her hair bounced lightly in the weak waves of winds passing between us and I began to wonder and answer some of the questions that I was still ignorant to, myself.

"Tsk," I coughed, "No wonder you can't ascend to a higher plane of existence you hypocrite."

Bella turned back around quickly bringing with her a new shadow lying across her marble face. The soft and gentle sorrow in her eyes was gone and replaced with anger. Not just any anger either, it was that same deep hatred I saw in her eyes when she faced the Moriatus.

"Excuse me?" She whispered. I kept my chin up high in the air confident and a bit nervous.

"You claim that one can only ascend or start the journey to enlightenment with the three essentials of ascension; wisdom, fearlessness, and courage. So THAT makes me wonder. Why hasn't a vampire like you that has been around for thousands of years not yet ascended? Surely the way you speak of it makes it appear like there is nothing grander on this Earth that could even closely compare to the path of enlightenment. So what is it that causes you to refrain from crossing the gaps and moving on?"

I began to slowly circle Bella, glaring at her while I did it.

"Do you want to know what I think? I think that you can't ascend for any of the reasons you might give me but rather because you simply CAN'T! You are scared to death of the things that are hidden within your mind. How pathetic is that?"

"Come… again?" Bella snarled at me.

"You befall the ones around you and point out their faults, tell them what they should be doing, tell them how they should be living their lives, and even tell them what they are doing wrong and right in this existence. I don't think I have ever in my life encountered a more arrogant woman like you.

Yet, for all these speeches you announce their seems to be no wisdom behind them. Why would anybody in their right minds even listen to you if they knew that you are frightened of your own memories? I mean… truly… HOW PATHETIC COULD YOU GET?"

Bella turned her head over her shoulder and growled at me while I continued to circle her like she was my prey, and at the moment she really was.

"You can't ascend my queen because you are too afraid! You're afraid of your own memories. So… fearlessness is out. You do not possess the courage to face what's in your head so the second essential you too do not possess. And most of all, you don't even have the wisdom to realize that memories are only events of the past and shouldn't be allowed to haunt your waking steps. You should also have the wisdom to know that once you face this horror that all of your other issues would go away.

So once more; why in the world should anybody with an ounce of intelligence listen or even respect somebody like you that's scared of her own shadow?"

Bella lowered her head glaring and snarling through her teeth.

"Careful… Edward…"

"No," I shook my head, "I have been careful around you for far too long. I am sick of tip toeing around you. I AM SICK OF not knowing what I can and cannot say to you. I am sick of what appears to be sometimes having to deal with two different variations of you. One minute you seem like the nicest and most pleasant person on earth, and in the next you're a RAGING BITCH!

What gives you the right to judge others? What gives you the right to tell vampires how they should be living out their eternities? You are nobody, and for that matter no vampire means anything to the world because we are what we are; monsters.

So you lost someone that you loved a long time ago, BIG DEAL! Every vampire lost something at the hands of immortality. Who knows how many loved ones like parents, lovers, spouses, brothers, and sisters were lost because we were imprisoned in these freezing statues of the people that we once were."

Bella turned her head away snarling louder.

"_Well you have no idea what I've been through…_

_You have no idea of the darkness that I have seen…_

_You don't know how long I have suffered alone…" _I imitated her.

Well stop crying about it. Don't make it seem like that no one could compare to your pain love because many of us can!"

Bella parted her lips and inhaled getting ready to speak but I wouldn't allow it. I had the floor now, and I wouldn't give it up without a fight.

"OH DON'T YOU DARE! Please spare me any of your self absorbed declarations. I don't even want to hear one more word about how I don't understand, couldn't comprehend the feelings, and the pain, despair, loneliness, and the Atlantis, Moriatus, vampires, sorrow, and Sekhmet, and this and that, and so forth and so on. Just please spare me anymore of your plea's."

Bella turned away and her hair covered her countenance that I could well imagine in my head. She was more or likely on the verge of wanting to murder me. Well if this was going to be my end then I would make it so that she would always remember.

I stopped my pacing around her and let my arms fall lifeless to my sides. This was one of the few times in my immortal life I have actually felt exhausted in. For a minute there though I couldn't even tell where all this came from. But I knew that a calm and slow approach couldn't break her so I was forced to try out this new one.

Bella's fists were balled on her sides shaking violently. More or likely she would launch herself at me any minute now and dig her claws inside my body and tear me to shreds. I didn't care anymore. I said what needed to be said. Finding out that the woman you are in love with once had someone else, and that she still lingers and bathes in the glory of his memory was devastating to the heart, no matter how cold it was. But that she would be afraid to face these memories was even worse. I had no sympathy for her now. I can't imagine what could have happened to make her be this way.

I looked at Bella up and down not relinquishing one ounce of pity. Her face was hidden beneath a veil of light mahogany hair. I was still awaiting the initial beat down, or rather a glance that could kill all by itself.

Yet, there was a new front moving into my system. While I was looking at Bella from top to bottom I received a realization that she might be that far gone that nothing and no one could even get close to her. There were so many barriers around her, and every one of them had different weak spot which could set off a chain reaction of cataclysmic consequences.

How could she have gone on for so many years in the state which she is in now? How could she communicate with vampires, humans, and even trees with hatred and such an icy heart? She should not be taking out her frustrations on the people around her. Why would anybody even consider wanting to get close to her?

"Why would anyone even want you? You're pathetic…"

Yet again I was prepared to have my neck between her sharp claws. No matter how this would turn out my conscious was clear.

I could already predict her reaction. She'll turn around, face poised with hatred and ravenous anger. She'll give me some small and depressing speech and then my life will be over or, she'll leave us for good.

Bella's fists that were shaking hard and strong suddenly dulled and grew weaker. Her fingers dropped lifelessly out of her palm and hung their like dead things. Bella turned to me revealing her face from behind the layers of her shiny hair.

... … … … … … … … … …

A spear, bullet, sword, or anything else fast or sharp blew right through my chest and cruel heart.

Bella's face was completely waxed in pain. Her lips quivered with sobs and her eyes whimpered with a glassy like reflection. All the hardness she always held strong in her face was gone and replaced by an extremely fragile and breakable softness. I saw an innocence I never saw before not even when she needed me to hold her.

A sob and several more erupted over her lips. She lowered her head crying and weeping. Bella raised her hand and pitifully combed her hair between one of her ears revealing her face further. Her chest expanded as more dry tears came to her eyes.

"You… a-are… e… evil…"

One last glance in my direction and Bella took off into the forest, her face completely broken with sorrow.

… … … … …

"What... did I do?"

**(Authors Note)** - Hope you guys liked it. The first "kiss scene" will come in the chapter after the next. Thank you for all of your reviews, they were wonderful and I appreciated every single one of them.

**PLEASE REVIEW.**


	31. Chapter 30

Memoria

A dark cloud infested sky reached across the weary horizons above the trees throwing its shadow over my head. I could hear as the clouds polymerized and became united under one banner; electricity was seeding in them. There was a modest crack overhead and I detected the first bit of rain drops bouncing and dancing on the leaves.

The winds silenced their gusty waves and the rain was free to pour straight down to the earth. Big and heavy drops dangled on the ends of my hair tips reflecting my shocked visage. A bolt of white lighting catapulted itself down in-between the trees, screeching while impacting.

"What did I do?" I whispered whilst tasting the clean water swimming on my lips. Another gargantuan blast of electricity roared overhead.

"That… That woman… it… it…it… wasn't…. her…"

I squeezed my eyes shut replaying the final moments between Bella and I before she departed into the woods.

She turned around, her mahogany locks were flowing in the air and I was expecting pulled up lips revealing white pearly teeth and a ferocious snarl but instead… There was no hardness in her face. The bitterness, cruelty, over confidence, and pride was gone. The Bella I had known from before always wore these colorful masks on her marvelous face but the woman that cried out to me… I had seen her before. I had seen glimpses of her when Bella was ignoring me while singing her song or when she unhinged the chains binding her pain and misery.

The woman I saw turning around to face me was NOT Bella. There was no sharpness in her features, and no signs of irritation or arrogance. Instead there was a fragile softness, and an extreme vulnerability I had never seen before. In that instant she looked so breakable and so innocent. Is that was lives beneath all the negativity and graceful evil?

Is there something else living underneath the barriers and powerful shields Bella installed around herself? A form of her true self if there even was such a promising enticement?

"Was I wrong?" I began to question myself. All the harsh words I screamed at her with so much annoyance and yet creativity. My hands reached up and found both my temples on either side of my head. I began to rub them rethinking those last vengeful moment that just might haunt me.

There was nothing in the memory that was in any way unexpected nor unjustified. I closed my eyes thinking critically. I had yelled at her before though. It was that night when I found her traveling along the road seeking the Moriatus. Then she had merely laughed at my outrage but now it all seemed so different.

I wasn't wrong… was I? She was trying to change our lifestyle, and did indeed proceed to tell us how we should live out our eternities. Not to mention what she had said to Carlisle and I respectively.

I do acknowledge that I might have been a bit… bitter but Bella was the architect of her own demise. Why must she wrap herself in layers of riddles and mysteriousness? What could be so important to cause her to be that way? I was right about the three essentials as well. She didn't possess any of them so how can she preach them if she can't even follow their lead; hypocrite.

Why would she even dare to… A new realization came to the light of my thoughts wanting acceptance as I contemplated the scene earlier.

It was true that Bella didn't force us to choose the life style that she lived. Instead she hinted and slithered around it trying to make it appear tempting. As if a life of wearing red eyes and having bloody drips of human blood running down your chin could ever be appealing. Of course she hadn't mentioned any of that but stating we would one day become what we became was I guess a more friendly way of putting it.

What does it mean? What could be beneficial of living such a life? What is the promised gift to accept that one is a monster? What is the GAIN?

_Truth of spirit… One… of many roads… that lead… to… the… great path…_

My bones shuttered unprepared when a familiar voice trespassed into my thoughts. I turned around quickly scanning the surrounding area for a yellow glow of a translucent spirit I had witnessed before. My eyes flew over the small meadow and trees without noticing anything abnormally. I even looked up to the rainy sky feeling the fat drops of rain splashing into my eyes.

_The acceptance of ones being and the fate destiny pushed you on is a symbol of great wisdom. Feeling clarity and calmness with what you have been cherished with is but one of many roads that lead to a much higher path._

_Relinquishing all that you cling on so dearly but that belongs to another life is an act of truth and the ability of acceptance. The truth will set you free and open the gates to the first part of the journey… _

Helios? Why couldn't I see him? Normally he always appeared to me in one form or another. His words rang in my head like a gigantic bell had been chimed. It sounded and echoed like a vast scream throughout a mountain range not wanting to find rest.

_You made me break my promise… But I did not anticipate that an opportunity would present itself so quickly… _

"What are you talking about?" I screamed. What promise did he break? What opportunity? There was a feeling inside of me, rising from my still heart and all the way to my mind. It was warm and yet distant. Yet again, feelings I had no comprehension off.

_You have committed a great evil today… _

I snorted. "What evil? It's evil to tell the truth? What happened to the truth will set you free?"

I gazed around the trees not wanting to catch one of my siblings finding and observing me. They'd think I was insane. I pondered my options while awaiting a response from that demented demon that possessed me. I tried to envision what opportunity he referred to. Somehow I felt uncomfortable with the statement… What opportunity?

_Tell me… what was it that she did that summoned such mannerism?_

I chuckled shaking my head agitated. Of course he would be on her side. What didn't she do? I was about to open my mouth to unleash that sleeping fury once more when Helios beat me to the punch.

_Never once has Bella been inclined to change the way you live. Never once has she beseeched you to alternate your beliefs or the path you chose. Never! _

_She told you to accept the terms of engagement. She implored you to see reason and to find peace with what you all became. Yes, indeed, she shrouded her words and being in great walls of mystery and riddles but if you knew who she truly was you would understand. _

_Truth of spirit can only be obtained through a vampire's admission to this life. Acknowledging what you became and coming to terms with your reservations is a vampire's first step towards salvation. _

_She did not wish to change your life style but rather hoped to put you and your family unto a path greater than anything in this world. It was an act of charity. _

"Bu-t…b-ut she-.."

_There was an ancient evil roaming these lands that Bella pursued across the hemisphere. It was an evil that you experienced with great fear in your mind; the Moriatus of the ancient world. She protected you… She protected the ones you love… She saved one whom you love… and gave another one whom you love a new life… Something that is in fact forbidden to do… _

_These were all actions of cunning strategy but with the best intentions at heart. Unfortunately she found herself surrounded by a vampire who is so self-indulgent that he cannot see a shining beacon of good even if it wore a label. _

_All she has ever done here… in Forks… was to aid you. _

_This is to be her reward? _

"N-no… no she didn't. She…," my words crumbled into small pieces of rocks not standing a chance against Helios' blows.

_Believe what you will. However, know this Edward! Not many vampires are grazed with the opportunity to speak to a being that should have gone extinct millennia ago. The wisdom she carries is coveted by many that stalk the dream of finding one such as Bella. _

_Your meeting was nothing shorter than fortuities. _

_Yet, it is your own ignorance that prevented you from seeing a clear crystal path lain out before you prepared to carry you towards enlightenment. _

_You just broke that path… _

My lips trembled in the realization of my own stupidity. What Helios said I had never seen before in Bella's actions. Was I so blinded by the annoyance, beauty, and cruelty she brought that I could not see through the cracks? Now knowing what she had attempted to do there was no denying it.

Helios spoke the truth. He did not interfere with my reasoning either. My heart was telling me that he was right and that I had been a fool.

An angel was sent from a benevolent place of hope and bliss, and brought with her a ship for us to travel on. The ship was to sail us to a place in which all life is stored and where everything around you turns to golden light until the body is no longer needed and the journey begins.

Had I been the liberator of this? Had I destroyed a chance for my family to find eternal peace or was there still perhaps redemption on the horizons?

My god… the things I said… They were all so out of place. Why couldn't I see through the charade? Had I been so blinded by my own curiosity and self hatred? I covered my face in my shaking hands not wanting to believe my own misguidance. What had I done?

_I foresaw this… _

He did?

_However I did not see that this chance would arrive so soon… _

What chance? What's this opportunity he spoke off? Was there a way to be good again? Now thinking more of what I said and how I had acted I knew that the vision of Bella's heart broken face would eternally haunt me. Her quivering red orbs that looked so soft and fragile, and her delicate lips which shuddered with so many dry tears would never stop hunting me from now on.

_There is only one way for you to redeem yourself._

"WHAT? WHAT IS IT? I'LL DO ANYTHING TO MAKE THIS GO AWAY?"

Whatever it was I would do it. I hurt the woman I proclaimed to have fallen in love with. I hurt her and broke down all of her walls so that she was now completely defenseless.

_You will have to awaken… HER…_

I blinked astonished; her? What do you mean her I thought mentally.

_There is but one way to undo everything that has been annihilated. It is noteworthy to mention that this will not only benefit you. _

_I know what you have seen Edward. I know what you have fallen in love with. The small glimpses you saw on Bella's face or her movements belong to someone that has slumbered for a very, very long time. _

_Deep within her thoughts there is darkness. It is a world of memoria. There are thousands of years of untold amounts of memories; Kemet, Greece, a time when the pyramids were still young, a time in which Elysium still stood strong and as a city, the most early days of human civilization, Atlantis. It is a web of endless memory, feeling, and… anger. _

_But in all those tangled strains of thought and time there is a very small and what would appear to be insignificant place deep within her mind, and heart. A place in which hope still resides, and it is in that place to where YOU must go in order to awaken… HER. _

"I don't understand. What do you mean when you say _her? _Are you referring to a completely separate entity that resides inside of Bella or some sort of… dual personality that she may has? What?" My edginess of not knowing was making me even more nervous.

_Neither. There is something deep within that you must find; a hope that has long been asleep. Awaken it and all will become clear. All the confusion will be lifted, the riddles in the dark will be illuminated, and all you ever wished to know will be answered. Of course there are a few things that will remain hidden from you as they do from all vampires._

"A-alright. How does one do that?"

_First things first, FIND HER! _

Helios' last words roared through my head like thousands of shot guns had just been fired right next to my ear. I was confounded by his path of redemption yet still curious. What would I find in that small place of hope? Perhaps another Bella or some sort of emotion? Maybe it's something that she forgot and needs to remember?

Either way, knowing what I would find or wouldn't didn't concern me. I had done terribly wrong by her and now it was my duty to reverse it all. I had to say I was sorry for being so blind and not seeing what she was trying to do for me and my family. I sighed disappointed.

Had we really been poisoned by clinging on to our humanity so much that we could no longer see the good and or evil in vampires? When this was all over I was determined to cause some change. Even if it meant… leaving the Cullen family.

I took off across the small meadow and into the forest hot on Bella's scent. Fortunately the rain had not yet done its absurd and yet sometimes marvelous job at hiding or eradicating a vampire's scent. There were few trails that seemed to lead north or south but I could see that it had simply been washed to the side by the sizeable drops.

As I ran the lighting followed me and the sky threw its immense energy ahead above me. For but a mere second I though myself to be insane. The lightning bolts that shot across the black horizons nearly looked like arrows. They would shoot quickly in the direction I was running and formed themselves to look exactly like arrows. I shook it off as mere coincidence and kept on running.

While I ran still hot on Bella's trail I was trying to configure what it was that Helios wanted me do. What exactly does he want me to do? I don't even know how to do what he already said to do. How do I reach that small bit of hope left inside of her? Do I have to talk to her? Will I have to apologize my guts out?

Whatever it was he meant I would do it! I had done so horribly wrong on Bella. I had to set things right. I had to say I was sorry!

But would she hear or believe me? Would I have to get on my knees and beseech her like a goddess..?

_That which you will find inside that small place of hope agrees with your sentiments. Awaken it, and all will fade. _

What could it be? A part of me, though reluctant, kept on telling me that there was some form of Bella in that small place that Helios referred to. Maybe a Bella that she herself lost along the way this cold road of immortality. With all of her accounted experiences, emotions, scars, and who knows what else couldn't it be possible that she lost herself in the process? Was it truly all a mask? The cruelty and bitterness she showed, was it all some mighty barrier to keep the light out?

There was only one way to be certain and that was to find Bella. But how would I be able to reach her? How could I reach that place? Helios would have to answer that question.

While I traveled along the squashy forests path I began to notice certain similarities in the road Bella's scent lead into. I looked up at the sky while I ran and shivered in its dark hue. I think I knew where Bella had gone. The irony was that I already saw Alice's earlier vision unfolding right before my feet without having seen the actual image.

I slowed down, and pumped the breaks forcibly. With a deep breath of the clean atmosphere and a small bit of courage I stepped into the meadow I had found years ago.

I breathed shocked as I saw it. I had never been here during such a harsh storm of rain. The flowers were bouncing to the ground, their heads overcome with the strength of the rain. Seeing this place in such a dark state made it seem more spooky than beautiful. The trees…

I gazed at the crowns of the trees that were occasionally illuminated by the lightning bolts above and they looked distraught. The way their leaves and branched were shaped almost gave them facial features. Many of them looked sad and pained but others looked infuriated. I had to figure out if there was a way for regular vampires to commune with them. The one person that could teach me was semi rolled up in a ball lying in the middle of the meadow.

Slowly I took one cautions step after the next while energy in the clouds above roared louder and louder as if trying to warn me. It seemed like a scene right out of a horror movie. The set up was right; definitely. I swallowed nervously still approaching Bella with care.

The closer I crept towards her the clearer the image of her became. One leg lay over the other but both were not rolled up all the way to her chest. She lay gently on her side with both arms resting lifelessly next to her face. Her eyes were close and she took rhythmic breaths, peaceful almost.

I slipped my tongue over my dry lips ready to talk to her.

"Bella?" I halted my approach for a mere second waiting for a response but none came. I carefully stepped behind her so my feet were facing her back. I bend down gluing my eyes on her form in the process.

Shaking, and nervously I lifted my hand placing it on her shoulder. I breathed relieved to see that my hand was still attached to my wrist and observed the side of her face. Rain drops dripped down from my hair stains and I agitatedly washed them aside while becoming more focused.

Again I whispered her name even giving her a little shake this time, "Bella?" There was still no answer.

I wasn't sure if she was only pretending but it looked as if though she was… sleeping. Thousands of thoughts emerged out of that one making me think on that subject. Were vampires able to sleep? Was there some form of hibernation?

I thought back on something that Bella had told me once concerning the vampire legend Celest. Bella said that during Celest's life and her road to enlightenment she had once spent two centuries underground in a marine cave. During that time she isolated herself into a deep state of mediation… Could this be somehow similar?

I turned Bella around, carefully, so her back was flat on the ground. Her face showed blankness but with still regular breaths circulating in and out of her lungs. I placed my palm next to her cheek shaking her softly again.

"Bella? … BELLA?" I hollered. Why wouldn't she respond?

_She won't. _Helios' voice returned to my mind.

"Why?"

_Ancients that have been traveling along the path of enlightenment for an extensive amount of time become masters of their own minds. You see, they gain the capability to place themselves in such a deep state of trance or mediation that it appears as if though they are sleeping. What sometimes would appear to them as three years in this stage might actually be three hundred in reality you see? _

_You have done recommendable damage to her Edward. The mask she has been wearing for thousands of years has been damaged. Now, she is attempting to mend it so she may continue her life in subterfuge. _

_This is another reason why you must find that last bit of hope inside of her. There is a reason why this seclusion is not in common practice amongst the ancient vampires of the world. _

_They are vulnerable in this stage. They become unaware of their surroundings and are therefore susceptible to attack. This practice is only in usage when one is protected from harm in Elysium. _

Elysium? "So are you confirming my suspicion that some still live in the ruins of that city?"

Helios chuckled mentally in my head.

_Where do you think she came from before coming here?_

The great vampire metropolis… Bella said that ever since its destruction it had become a sanctuary for all those seeking enlightenment; vampires anyway.

I shook off that thought for another time and returned to the main issue at hand. Because of my ignorance Bella was forced into this… this… mediation? In order to heal all that I had destroyed? Was the person I saw then just before she left the _REAL_ Bella?

But how could I help her? What could I do for her? I'm no one, nothing. If there was only another ancient around maybe they could help her. Should I take her to the Volturi? Maybe Aro and his brothers could…

_NO! _Helios' scream bellowed like a sharp screech in my thoughts causing slight discomfort.

_Never EVER under any circumstance reveal Bella's identity or anything about her to those heathens. DO. YOU. UNDERSTAND? _

"Y-yes… I'm sorry…" I whispered a bit afraid. I didn't have any room left in my brain to question why Bella should stay of the Volturi's grid.

I lifted Bella gently off the ground wrapping my hand around her back and cradled her to my chest. Her head fell lifelessly into my chest. I cringed pained. I waved her soft wavy hair away from her face and observed her sleeping. She looked so fragile now, so innocent. I placed my hand on her cheek unaware of the cold chill vibrating in my palm and finger tips. I stroked my thumb along the edges beneath her eyes marveling at her supreme beauty. I began to stroke her entire head, running my hand across her forehead and down the back of her head.

"I'm sorry…" I whispered. If I had only known what or who you truly are. If only I hadn't been so infused on my lingering humanity that prevented me from recognizing the gift that she tried to give me then maybe now things would have evolved differently.

There was something very sad about her feminine and breakable form. There was a great sorrow shining off her body as if she was transmitting her feelings to me. I had been the cause for these emotions or I had at least tripled them.

How could I have been so careless and stupid? Why did I have to say all that I did? Oh Bella…

_There is no time to dwell in the past now. What has been done is done. You must focus on the future and keep the past in your memories but do not draw from it. _

_Edward. You must do this now before she can repair all the cracks. This is a chance that nearly never presents itself. You must act now. _

I hissed in-between sobs. "And what the hell do you propose I do? What can I do? I have no special powers like she does or other ancients. I don't know anything about enlightenment, Elysium, ancient vampire elders or even… Bella."

My fingers graced alongside Bella's cheek feeling the soft texture of her marble skin. It was a skin that glowed and radiated like the moon at night; a light in the dark for anyone willing to see it.

_You are a telepath… _

I blinked surprised at his sentiment.

"How can that help me? I have never been able to read her thoughts before."

_Perhaps, but now she is in a very weak state in which if you concentrate hard enough your power might be able to penetrate her mental defenses. _

"But how does reading her thoughts help me?" There was a brief pause. Whatever Helios was going to say next would be the answers I yearned for. The answer to how I could help her.

_Your power needs but a slight boost in order for you not to read her thoughts but rather to enter her mind ENTIRELY! _

"WHAT? How in the world… what? What sort of boost?"

_Listen to me. The talents that certain vampires acquire through their transformation may grow with the decay of time. Take Aro for example. Many years ago when he became a vampire his talent lay therein to read the thoughts of all those he touched. His ability was limited to just that!_

_His talent however had a few millennia to progress. Now, he is capable of taking not just thoughts but rather everything you have ever thought about including all your memories. _

How would Helios know all of that and how could this benefit me?

_You're talent is very curios. You take thoughts from those around you… and I believe that after a few millennia have passed you might be able to not only take them but also to rearrange them, replace them, and even create them in the minds of others. _

_Today however, you must not only take thoughts from someone but ENTER THEM! _

"Well that is all very, very interesting and delusional but how do you suppose I do that?" I was listening intently for his next response.

_Simple, you use my power! _

"W-what? What sort of power?"

_I am a restless spirit, a memory of a past long forgotten by man and most vampires. If you are able to break down the defenses guarding her thoughts I might be able to fuel you with sufficient amounts of energy that will allow you to for the lack of a better word project you directly into her mind. Once there I SHOULD mention that you will be on your own but you will have the opportunity to seek out the hope buried deep down within. _

_Basically, your two minds will LINK! _

I shook my head closing my eyes overcome with all of this… Alright, let us assume that it will work…

"Well what then? Won't she notice I'm there? Better yet, you are talking about me stepping foot into a vampires mind, a mind that has been around long before the pyramids in Egypt were built. I can't dodge all of those memories. How am I supposed to find that… that… that… p-place.?"

_Bella won't notice a thing. You will be on your own, and yes there will be many windows into many different life ages, people, creatures, and much more. You will just have to follow the light. _

_I have to admit. It will be like searching the planet Earth for a place as big as this meadow but I trust you'll succeed. _

"ARE YOU SERIOUS? This is a bad, bad plan." Helios sighed.

_There is no other way. _

_Don't you want to find that which you sought for nearly a century? Besides, it is not only about you! _

_This world which has been dipped into darkness needs the light. The light that slumbers deep down within her could resurrect a hope for this world. Don't be selfish. _

_Furthermore, let us not forget that THIS was YOUR FAULT after all. You must now face the consequences. _

_Anyway, does this all really matter? These explanations of explanations? As soon as I told you that there might be redemption on the winds you full heartedly decided to do whatever it would take. _

I grunted embarrassed by my own thoughts. As much as I hated to admit it Helios was correct. I did accept to do whatever it would take to rewrite all the wrongs. If there was a chance for me to meet the true woman I was now holding in my arms then I should certainly snatch this opportunity.

But I had no idea what would await me in her thoughts or how Helios planned to transport me in her old mind.

It didn't matter anymore, nothing mattered, and all that did was that I had to find the hope left within her bleeding heart. Whatever or whoever it was. Who knows, perhaps I'll find my own dreams there.

"Fine," I whispered; my voice hoarse. "But there is something I want to know right now before I do this and you will tell me."

Helios was silent for but a moment. I knew that I wouldn't have to speak the question but rather think it. Something I asked myself since I realized who he truly was. I heard him clear his throat.

_The… the reason why I can't commune with Bella directly is because her mind is too isolated from the world around her. She is too strong for me to transmit my thoughts or words to her. _

_Thousands of years ago I might have been able but back then I had not yet figured out how to do what I am doing now. That's why… _

There was more hiding behind his words. His words were spread thin like small clouds that can't cover the entire horizon. I blinked tiredly knowing beforehand that I would not get a clear answer.

I took a cleansing breath through my nose refilling my lungs with much needed fragrances to soothe me. Carefully I lay Bella on her back on the ground. The wet flowers dripped small rain drops like tears from their pedals letting them drop on her cheek as if they were weeping for her.

I placed both her hands on her stomach with one on top of the other like she was praying. A quick chuckle escaped me when I viewed the way I had placed her on the wet soil; she looked like sleeping beauty.

A sighed giving into Helios' demand. "Alright. What do I do? What exactly do I do?"

_Very well… _I smiled. I knew he would be pleased.

_First, with your index and middle finger touch her forehead. _I proceeded to do as he requested. A quick chill ran through me when I felt the coldness of Bella's skin.

_Now, close your eyes. I need you to shut out everything around you. The noises of falling rain, lightening, the squashy sound of wet grass and leaves, and everything else that might be a distraction must become silent to you. You must concentrate fully, and undistracted. _

_Clear your mind of all your worries, troubles, pain, regret, anger, pity, doubt, and despair. _

I closed my eyes seeing nothing but the blackness in front of me. Now that I had closed my eyes it seemed that I could hear the noises around me even more. If one sense goes the others intensify their output I guess.

But no, I couldn't think like that. I had to shut them out. I had to think of nothing and clear all the confusion in my head. EVERYTHING had to go. As a matter of fact, I shouldn't even be thinking at all but about the blank void in front of me.

… … …

… … …

_Listen to my voice. Seek out the light screen that has stood tall and strong for the better part of three thousand years. It is cemented with all the dislikeable things no one would cherish. They are all but an illusion, a way of misguidance to protect and fool their master. _

_See the small bit of hope shining through the cracks of that damaged shield. Allow its voice to consume you. Follow the hope; follow the light that will guide you through that jungle of memory. _

_But beware of the darkness within for if you take a dance with it your mind will forever be lost in the oceans of her subconscious. Your screams and shrieks for help will seem like far away echoes she will never hear. _

_Remember that nothing is real though it will seem to be. They are things that have already passed and are mere reminiscent projections of that which once was. There is no need for fear. Have courage… and allow the light to guide you… _

… …

* * *

Damn. The harder I tried not to think about anything the more difficult it became. After a while I thought about not thinking about anything at all. However, the campaign was successful.

For but a few minutes I managed to think of completely nothing. Not one small strain of thought could be heard in my mind, it became completely empty. There was nothing but the dark void before me.

Then, a few minutes later when the nothingness became unbearable a blurry image appeared in front of my closed eyes. I couldn't determine its shape but I could tell it was blue and or green. Slowly, and steadily it was vibrating or pulsating right in front of me like a wave.

I started to concentrate on it since I realized that it must have been Bella's shield. I tried my hardest to again not think but instead tried to hear something while still attempting not to hear anything else around me. It was in vain.

I then began searching, and seeking out the cracks I had caused. I had hoped to find something noticeably but the wave of blue and green didn't allow it. It was then when Helios' voice returned, helping me to find a small opening.

As soon as he began speaking and whispering words of encouragement I noticed that the wave was moving. It was like Helios was moving my mind across the shield trying desperately to find an opening, and indeed we did.

There, between the lights of green and blue was a thin layer of white. A ray was shimmering through the barrier Bella had constructed. I had to admit, she was a mighty fine architect.

Without warning I started to descend towards that crack, towards that white light. Helios inched me closer and closer. In that instant I had a few second guesses and subconscious warnings whether or not this would be the right course of action. My conscious thoughts however knew what I had to do and so I blocked those forewarning thoughts and silenced them.

Once I entered the light everything went white for but a second before the darkness returned.

I had been sitting still since then. It must have already been about ten minutes. I couldn't tell what happened. I didn't know whether or not I was still in the meadow or if I had been transmitted into Bella's mind and we were now linked. I couldn't feel the rain drizzles anymore but it could have stopped raining. I could still hear the wind.

Obviously I broke my concentration and my mind was back at work contemplating and plotting. I was a bit curious but also hesitant to open my eyes. What if I hadn't entered her thoughts? Apparently Helios and I were so close. What if we didn't make it and he is still trying to push me inside her thoughts?

I couldn't risk opening my eyes and undo all we had already done. But maybe, just maybe I was already in Bella's memory lane and was now wasting time.

I listened to the wind flowing through me. Its melody was soft and soothing. It was a lot different from the winds in Forks forest. I continuously kept on hearing some strange whistle. The whistle however was not as strange as the voices.

Sometimes, regularly actually, when the winds brushed through my hair and glided around my ears I heard a indifferent melody they carried. It sounded like someone was exhaling and making a "ha" like sound. The voice was female, at least that's what I could tell, and its volume was low yet high pitched.

The thought that I was truly in Bella's mind grew more monumental by the minute. I would not dare to call out to Helios but in turn he had always been able to hear my thoughts. Would he not have scolded me already for thinking?

There were no scents. The smell of trees, the earthy soil, the various fragrances of flowers, even Bella's scent was gone.

I had not choice for I felt like a fool. I opened my eyes.

The first thing I saw were my fingers that were still suppose to be touching Bella's forehead but she was gone. Quickly I straightened up and stood tall.

"What the…" I think it worked. I was in a place that was white and covered with a thick fog. The mists reached up all the way above my knees. The ground seemed solid after I tapped my foot to double check. But this place… I couldn't see anything.

I turned around, again and again. I saw nothing but fog. I heard nothing but that abnormal melody on the air and only felt the occasional wind breeze.

"Oh Edward, what did you get yourself into?" Some part of me whished I had never met Bella but then another part shredded that thought. If I hadn't met her I would still lead the same boring life, I would not know that there is more to vampires than just fangs, and I wouldn't know what love feels like.

I kept turning around recklessly wanting to see some sign of… something. I saw nothing though.

I started to take some cautious steps. I had no idea where my feet were taking me hence not even my vampire eyes could penetrate the thick curtain of fog that lay ahead of me.

How would I see these memories anyway? Would they just appear out of nowhere? Would there be something like television screens? I was bouncing off ideas at myself but they all seemed somewhat… thick.

My head and body kept spinning around looking up and down, right and left for a sign of movement. I also started to worry, a lot. Helios said that searching for that small bit of hope would be like searching the entire planet earth for one meadow. How will I find my way there?

I sighed frustrated when the further I walked the thicker the fog became and still… NOTHING!

"Grrr…"

I stopped dead in my tracks a chill running down my spine when I heard a growling noise. Quickly I turned searching for something in the layers of mist. My eyes scanned the waters of fog seeking out a shape, figure, shadow, or something that could explain the noise I had heard.

The noise was a rippling like growl, low and menacing. It sounded close. There were still no scents on the air that continued to carry its melodic like voice.

I spun around swiftly when I heard another noise. It sounded like a step, but wet and heavy. I heard a small grinding sound too, like someone was churning their teeth or possibly running nails across the ground.

I heard the sound again and was sure that it indeed was steps I was hearing. I ferociously stared into the direction they were emanating from awaiting a shape to appear.

Latch… and latch. That was what the steps sounded like. They were coming closer.

Finally I was able to detect something in front of me. At first it seemed like a shadow before the wholeness of its shape came into view. It was big; almost twice as tall as me. It was wide too. Its legs were bent as if walking on hind legs. There was a scratching sound before and now I saw where it came from. It came from the claws attached to its paw like feet.

My eyes traveled up the animal's figure recognizing a body covered in dark brown fur. I saw a broad stomach covered in muscle and hair. I kept looking up until finally I reached its face.

A dogs face it had and an open mouth that dripped with drool and exposed large sharp teeth. Its pointed ears shot right up the sky, sensitive and alert. Its mouth shuddered releasing more menacing and bitter growls.

And there, in its face, was a pair of great big yellow eyes staring right at me.

"You have got to be kidding me." I didn't even realize I had spoken out loud when the werewolf tore open its mouth and roared at me. I felt its warm and foul breath flying through my face but still did not smell its filthy aroma.

Whatever happened to memories aren't suppose to be dangers? Well this I certainly did not see coming in any one of my mental simulations of what could possibly happen in here.

MY GOD! Never had I imagined they would be this BIG! Carlisle didn't know what exactly they looked like either. The descriptions he redirected from Caius to us were however very accurate. But still… This was unbelievable. How could a vampire kill one of these things? LOOK AT IT!

I stumbled back when it started to approach me. And of all the things that could go wrong I had to endure the worst scenario. I tripped over my one feet while backing up, too focused on the werewolf to watch my footing and landed on my behind.

I scrambled on the floor using my feet and hands to push myself back as the monstrosity neared. The more I pushed though the closer it seemed to come. The fog I was consumed in made it difficult to see all of its movement but there was only one I needed to worry about; it was coming right at me.

Suddenly it arched its body and pushed its gigantic head through the fog and right in my face roaring loudly. I fell back taken off guard and cowering in fear.

It raised its body again and stepped on either side of me trapping me underneath its mass. I tried to free me of its shadow by wiggling upwards or even back but it repeated its roaring process and trapped me.

It raised its arms plastered with a large biceps and flung out its black claws ready to strike. I covered my face and looked away waiting for the inevitable strike while my mind speeded uncontrollably in confusion.

Helios said that there would be no danger, physically anyway. What was I going to do? How could this have happen…

"_Beyond the stars horizons wait… through shadows and the cold abyss…"_

I uncovered my face lucidly and in a daze quickly searching for the source of the song. "What the…?"

"_Forsaken in the dark we were… far away… from white shores. _

_The weeps of willows are our tears… bound forever… in eternal death."_

My first instinct was: Bella! It was her song after all. Did she uncover me? Had she just crossed out the plan Helios and I made? But fortunately yet unfortunately at the same time it was not Bella.

The voice was that of a child, a boy quite possibly.

Whoever it was, they saved me. The werewolf forgot about me and growled in every direction trying to determine where the voice came from too.

"_A light to reach in the night… stretched out their hands all eight did. Bound forever… by the blood of man. _

_Now we travel down the road… and alone we fly with the winds. Eternally… hidden… in the hearts of worlds._

_Forever shall we live… forever shall we live…_

_Never will we fade… never will we fade…_

From the fog off to the right a small figure began to appear. Indeed it was the vision of a child singing the same song that Bella had sung once before. His small body emerged slowly granting his sight to my eyes.

"_Us the Lords of old…" _he finished.

He couldn't have been more than five or six years old. He wore small light brown boots and I could see the white yarn keeping them together right up the middle. His white pants flew gracefully in the soft winds this place of memory held. His upper body was covered in a white curtain like shirt with the top three buttons undone revealing his smooth baby chest. Over it he wore a light brown sleeveless vest that matched color with his boots.

His little face was serious and was staring at the child of the moon above me. He approached not taking his time. He didn't seem scared. His big round eyes stared right into the yellow orbs of the werewolf.

He wasn't walking slow but not fast either. I couldn't locate one hint of fear nor hostility in his presence. The child though was very, very beautiful.

He stopped when he reached the werewolf and I. The wolf growled and snarled at him but he just rose his delicate thin eyebrows not impressed at all by the gargantuan form of the monster. He open his mouth and whispered…

"Go away."

Quickly I looked up at the werewolf that closed its mouth and cocked its head to the side. The little boy waved his hands at it gesturing it to move. The werewolf freed me by removing its legs from either side of me and backed up still sneering evilly.

I pushed myself up off the ground and stood firm next to the boy. Though I didn't want to take my eyes off the thing in front of me I couldn't help but look down at the child that rescued me.

He too turned his head and looked up at me. His big eyes stared right into mine. There were magnificent sparkles in them and then he smiled. His smile was awe striking. He showed his perfectly shaped small white milk teeth while his cheeks in turn unveiled small dimpled on either side.

"It is only a memory mister." He whispered in his high pitched musical like voice. Never had I seen a more beautiful child like him.

"A memory?" I asked him. He nodded repeatedly while his messy bronze hair bounced with the winds. He smiled brighter if that was even possible and pointed his little index finger at the werewolf.

As I returned my sight to the monster I saw that it was already dissolving and fading out of phase. It was see through now, and became dimmer and dimmer until finally with one last growl it disappeared all together.

Being used to seeing such a thing I wasn't surprised and looked back down at the child becoming addicted to stare and marvel at his absolute perfect beauty.

Many children in particular babies were wonderfully beautiful but this child surpassed all of them. Never had I seen such perfection. He had a heart shaped face with a straight and short nose in it. His lips were straight and shaped perfectly, filled in with a nice red color. The boys skin was smooth and milky like the color beige. It looked so healthy and clean. There was also a certain charm about him that ensnared me.

He continued to smile at me showing me his cute small dimples until he reached his hand out in front me seemingly moving towards a hand shake.

"I am Calahan."

His friendly big chocolate brown eyes stared right into mine, and somehow I felt… home.

**(Authors Note) – Sorry for the bit of a dry spill but you all know how real life can be. The chapter after the next will feature Bella and Edward's first kiss, finally. It might take me a little longer for that particular chapter because I want to get it just right! Please enjoy. **


	32. Chapter 31

(Authors Note) – In this chapter I decided to use a song that actually gave me the inspiration for writing the end of the chapter. I included the words of the song in **bold **print so it'll be easier to identify. Its Kelly Clarkson's "You found me". I hope you guys enjoy it.

* * *

Hope

The petit child smiled at me awaiting my hand to shake for our introductions. I was still taken by his wonderful appearance and grace and the strange sensation of the feeling I received from him. It felt right, it felt like I already knew this boy and had known him for as long as I've been alive.

I returned the smile causing his to grow more magnificent. It was like a sunrise setting everything aglow with a bright light. Hesitantly I reached for his hand ignorant what to expect. Would I actually be able to make contact with him or would my hand pass through his like it would through a breeze?

Sure enough I encircled his small warm hand in my own. He giggled and shook both our hands. I chuckled at his childish demeanor. His bright brown eyes were hypnotizing and enchanting; like he was casting some spell over me.

"I am Calahan." He sparkled at me with his lustrous orbs he called eyes. I nodded friendly acknowledging his modest gesture.

"I'm E…", he interrupted me. "Oh I know who you are. As matters have played out I must confess that I have been patiently awaiting your arrival Mr. Cullen."

I blinked astonished with the hairs on the back of my neck standing up; alert. How would he know? Unless of course…

He giggled holding on valiantly to my hand. "I have seen that which lingers in the essence of your thoughts. Though many perspectives of your existence remain hidden well behind veils of the unknown, I have seen enough to determine that you are the vessel which will free the entrapped hope."

How old was this boy?

"For eons I have awaited the arrival of a soul similar to hers and an opportunity to unhinge the chains that tore her wings to the earth. Ever since then I have fashioned myself into a tool that you may use in order to find the small tear drop that glistens with a light brighter than the sun herself." My chin dropped to the ground.

"I suppose you may call me… a night light that will guide you through this flustering maze."

Who was this boy I thought astounded. His vocabulary was undeniably the most advanced I had ever heard from a child. What surprised me the most was how well spoken he was. The way he sounded out his words was so precise and vividly detailed.

Light? The light?

(Flashback)

_Remember that nothing is real though it will seem to be. They are things that have already passed and are mere reminiscent projections of that which once was. There is no need for fear. Have courage… and allow the light to guide you…_

(Flashback end)

Helios couldn't have possibly been referring to this small child? But it made sense. It couldn't have been mere coincidence that Helios made such a lucid referral and minutes later a child appears and states the same thing. What a complicated enigma my life has turned into.

I took a close look at the boy in front of me. I felt a sudden radiance coming from myself that made me feel connected to him. The minute I saw him a new thought rattled through my mind. A thought that although brought an ounce of joy also brought a great misery to my already heavy heart creating a scenario that had to be utterly true.

He looked just like me. Bronze colored hair, messy and uncombed yet ever so fitting to his facial features I thought perplexed. He had a straight nose just like my own or rather… Helios. And then, the most evident clue to my suspicion. The two great light and charming brown eyes that beamed at me with an intensity I had yet to ever feel. They reminded me of someone else's eyes.

The little boy sighed blinking his eyes wearily.

"We must go before the seal has been restored. If it does your consciousness could be trapped here for a very long time."

"Oh…" is all I could manage. Should I trust him? Should I consider going with him? What if he misleads me and directs me down the complete opposite direction?

No, I shook my head mentally, he wouldn't do that. This boy… this boy was without a doubt a Lantean. From what I've heard about them from Bella I didn't believe that they would have such a deceptive nature.

Besides, he is the light I'm supposed to follow at least I tried to make myself believe that.

I took a deep breath releasing it back through my mouth and readied myself for the upcoming… event. "Alright Cal.. Cahl-… alright wee one, let's go."

He laughed shaking his little head bemused. "Calahan" he whispered. I smiled back at him, "Calahan" I said nodding.

He offered me his tiny hand while gazing into my eyes with his dazzling gem stones. I took it without a second question.

He led us forward into the thicker array of mists that gathered themselves. I took more glances around trying to detect some hints of projections or any indications of movement besides our own.

This place looked so empty and stagnant of history and emotion. As ridiculous as it was I started to think whether or not I was in the right section of Bella's being. What had I gotten myself into?

My entire life grew more complicated by the day. Never had I imagined I would be dealing with this sort of thing. I remembered the days when I lived minute to minute and hour to hour praying that the days would grow shorter. I was so bored, and obsolete. I recalled the days of Carlisle's lectures and when I believed that any of the ancient vampire elders had faded into history thousands of years ago.

Now look at myself. Somehow and in some way my mind has been linked with a being I thought to be terminated. I fell in love with a woman as mysterious as the dark side of the moon. Although, admittedly I didn't know this woman and I was here after all to seek her out. I wonder what she was like if not Bella. I had only ever seen glimpses of the other side of the medallion; the shiny one.

But what WOULD I find? Helios clearly said that whatever I'd discover would be not only beneficial to myself but also to all the vampire dominion. I snorted; vampire dominion? I made it sound like we had some magical kingdom.

But according to Bella and Helios both we did actually. A kingdom that lies in ruins, rubble, ash, and destroyed by some unknown force millennia before even the birth of the Volturi I though disappointed.

"What's so funny?" Calahan asked looking up at me expectantly. As soon as my eyes met his I couldn't help but smile at the child that held more beauty than even the immortal children I had seen in Carlisle's memory. Unbelievable, really.

"Oh it's nothing at all." He glared at me. "Sentient beings do not shed laughter without their being some comical reason."

I wondered. Did he truly always speak as he did or was it only a child's wish to impress an adult? He gave me a most adoring look.

"Calahan can take a joke too." I laughed at him. "Well then I guess Edward can tell one." I said.

"You know it has been clinically proven that referring to oneself in the third person is a sign of mental instability." He said that quick as a flash. I coughed shocked.

"Well, you just…" he halted me with a quick smile and shrug of his shoulders. "I'm just a child."

I looked away laughing and shaking my head. This boy is sharp.

"There is no reason to be in denial about it now." I cocked my head to the side looking back down on him. "I am not in denial," I defended weakly. My defenses all but crumbled beneath his exterior wit and charm.

"Very well…" he whispered. I prompted a few more laughs from my thoughts trying to keep my eyes on the road. But there was nothing really to gaze upon but mists and clouds.

"Knock knock," he said playfully. Surprised yet again I looked back down on him. What happened to the intellectual sophistication I just witnessed? I curved my lips debating whether or not to go along but capitulated rather quickly.

"Who's there?" I asked curiously. "Cleopatra" he said with an ornery twinkle in his eyes.

"Cleopatra who?" I asked.

He looked up at me with a bright grin, "Cleopatra, queen of _the-Nile." _He chuckled and it was like bells chiming and ringing to the serenaded sound of heaven.

I couldn't believe this. I just walked into the most obvious trap I had ever seen. I was actually loosing an argument to a child that used childish plays against me. I blinked dumbfounded shaking my head.

"You know, you remind me greatly of someone I know." Bella, of course. She used to play the exact same games with me. I was awaiting another smart response but was bewildered when I didn't get one.

I took a peak through my lashed back down on him, observing, he was focused on the road. I sighed hoping that he knew where he was going. How could he tell anyway? Everything looked the same. Every single small cloud and twirl of mist held no form of uniqueness.

My mind quickly changed with the uncomfortable stillness between me and the boy. Hope Helios said. What sort of hope? What is hiding inside of Bella that could be of such greatness? The more I argued internally the more I began to believe I was using the wrong terminology. What if it wasn't something but rather someone?

The glimpses I saw, were they all related? Was Bella not who she proclaimed to be? It wouldn't amaze me at all if that was the solution to this complex mystery. But what bothered me more at the moment was the fact that there was nothing here. There was no light, no sound, no scent, no images, no feelings, nothing but the small boy beside me.

"What are you contemplating?" Stunned and thrown out of my own mind I returned my attention to the boy when he broke the silence.

Should I tell him the truth? Perhaps he knew what I wanted to know. If he was part of Bella's memory, and if he was who I believed him to be then he could actually be answering a lot of questions for me but I shouldn't misuse this chance.

"Oh I was just wondering why there is nothing here." He puffed amused. "What?" I asked.

"Of course there is nothing here. Memories are not ongoing spectacles to be witnessed and relieved a thousand times over. This is why they are memories. Their purpose is to be visited in order to learn from, draw joy, gain experience, grow wisdom, and cherish from. They are like small silver birds kept in small silver boxes. They are treasures."

I smiled blissfully. "I understand that. Yet, I expected to see something."

"You may only see that which she is thinking off." That made considerable sense. But then why…?

"What about you Calahan? Are you a memory too?" He bit down softly on his lower lip nodding his head at me. "Ah-huh."

"But then why are you here if apparently Bella isn't thinking about anything?" I watched his face. I watched as his bright eyes grew dimmer but kept their intense radiance of warmth and innocence.

"She thinks of me always as I do of her. A moment does not wander aimlessly without her in my waking dreams, and not a thought passes through me that does not constitute her." He spoke as if he truly was dreaming.

His eyes closed and he smiled. He raised his little chin smiling brighter and overjoyed. The dimples on his cheek seemed to bring out his true beauty. A new breath he huffed through his nose expanding his chest exponentially before he breathed it back out. His eyes opened and they seemed glassy with tears, but also happiness.

"Who," I struggled with my words, "who IS she Calahan?" I swallowed nervously but also hoping that I would receive an answer. I almost forgot that we were walking when my focus on him reached its climax.

He looked at me dreamily. "I cannot say. I have no recollection of this woman we are journeying through." I turned my head confused.

"But then, who…" when I looked back at him it was too late for questions. He shook his head, refusal strong in his chocolate eyes.

"Never mind Edward Cullen. Forget what I said please."

"But.." I tried to argue. "Please?" He beseeched me.

I gave in rather quickly not wanting to push my luck. "Alright," I whispered with one stiff nod.

I returned my attention once again back to the road. Repeatedly I started to wonder again whether or not this small boy knew where we were going. From what I had paid attention too we've been traveling in a straight path this entire time. Only about fifteen minutes had passed since he rescued me from that werewolf. Hold the phone…

"You said that the only things that materialize are the ones Bella is thinking of? Why was she thinking about a werewolf immediately after I arrived?" Puzzled and thirsting for answers I frowned at the boy with my searing questions.

He looked up at me. "It wasn't actually a memory you saw even though many Beolgo have crossed these silvery paths."

"Beolgo?" I was relatively certain he was describing the werewolf. I had never heard that terminology being associated with them.

He nodded his little head. "Yes, Beolgo, that was the original name given to them many eons before you and I entered existence. It is a Lantean word and actually means _evil curse. _Of course the term went lost with the deterioration of time and memory. _Children of the Moon, Werewolf, _or even _Lycan _is now a more practiced colloquy."

I shook my head laughing, "I'm sorry Calahan but how old are you? I feel like I'm speaking with a fully matured man, and then some." He giggled looking away. "Well?" I pushed .

He flashed his head back around and held out his free hand showing me all of his five fingers before faltering them until only his index finger stood solitary. "You're six?" I asked surprised.

"Ah-huh." Amazing, simply amazing.

I was about to attack him with some more lingering questions when suddenly to the right of us I saw movement. I stopped quite suddenly to the dismay of Calahan who wasn't very pleased. I had almost made him fall down.

I narrowed my eyes suspiciously. At first I thought what I had seen was some sort of light fixture or perhaps mirage. The fusions of the white clouds and silvery mists held a mixture of delusion. I had seen a cloud move up or rather just the middle of its feathery body, like a wave.

I trembled when for the first time in a long time I heard a new sound. It was like a crashing noise. But it was soft and benevolent. There was gentleness in its melodic motion that was indifferent. I looked more closely at the scenery trying to determine textures. I heard it again.

Waves? It sounded like an ocean. The clouds before me began to depart and lighten their thickness making it able to see beyond them. I was right! I saw an ocean with silver waters.

"Is that a memory Calahan?" I took the assumption that he was able to see the same serene waves as I.

"No…" he whispered. "Never a memory but a possibility instead." He tucked on my hand trying to get my attention back to him. It was difficult to tear my eyes away from the silver like ocean but fortunately I managed.

"That's not the road." The knowledge in his eyes was burning ferociously. I glared at him knowing that he knew what that was, and what did he mean by possibility?

"That road there leads to the path of enlightenment." I coughed my eyes growing wider. "You mean?"

Calahan nodded smiling. "Oh yes, that road leads to the white shores."

Bella had mentioned them so many times. Countless times she spoke of the road that would lead to a path greater than anything else on the living earth. A road, if traveled, would lead one beyond the horizons and stars, and to a place of white shores. Such power and wisdom was required to reach this place but the fulfillment ascension brought along with the knowledge of understanding was supposed to be pure bliss. A state of pure energy free of pain and woe awaits there. Why didn't Bella sail there?

"Come now, we have no time for this," Calahan pulled on my arm, "we must make haste. We are not far away now."

Defeated and hollowly I smiled back down on Calahan placing my hand on his head. He was right; we had to hurry across this misty meadow of lost dreams. I had no time to envision what lay beyond for I would never see it. "Let's go then."

He grinned pleased and once more lead the way.

I looked over my shoulder capturing my last glimpses of those enchanting silvery white waters. Somewhere deep down within me I longed to someday and somehow reach that place. But there was no way I could live long enough to reach enlightenment. Unlike Bella I did not have the stamina for immortality.

I washed away my quarries with strategic thoughts. I was still debating over what I would be confronted by in there, in that place of hope. I made me feel nervy not knowing what to expect. But I knew that it had to be a person. Helios repeatedly said I would have to rescue _her. _

_Her? _Who would she be? Was it some lower consciousness of Bella that she had forgotten long ago or rather left behind?

I blinked, surprised, realizing that I never got to finish my conversation with Calahan about the Beolgo earlier.

"So, what WAS a werewolf doing here?"

"Hmm.." Calahan tapped his finger against his chin apparently deep in thought. I smiled at his funny gesture.

"Allow me to explain it so; this consciousness has remained clear and free of intruders for many life ages of this world. The brain as you know is a very complex super computer governed by electrical impulses but in this instant view it as a human immune system." So far I was still on route with him. Though it was rude I couldn't help but smile as this tiny boy with a chiming childlike voice used such big phrases.

"The immune system has been free of foreign pathogens for many years but suddenly it detects an unknown chemical substance and sees it as a virus or even bacteria. So knowing how an immune system corresponds to such threats you should know that it will release its gamma globulin proteins or antibodies to neutralize the threat.

Her thoughts invoked the vision of a werewolf since her subconscious mind realizes that nearly all young Valar have never encountered a Beolgo and would be ignorant to the correct response other than cowering in fear."

I pursed my lips taking his explanation apart in my head. "You know, that does make sense. I liked your comparison. For a six your old you're pretty far ahead of yourself."

He smiled happily, "Thank you." I returned his smile. "You're welcome."

He began to playfully swing our connected hands between each other. I must have really paid him a great compliment I thought amused.

But this small moment of joy was interrupted from a loud thunder up above.

Calahan froze solid. His happy countenance faded away and was replaced by sheer terror. I looked up to the sky quickly but saw nothing but clouds. I felt Calahan's little hand squeeze my fingers tighter than before. Suddenly his small being began to shake violently. His grimace changed from terror to pure horror. I bend down on my knees quickly taking hold of his cheek.

"Calahan? Calahan what's wrong?" I tried to follow the directions his eyes were going but with no luck. Whatever that loud thunder was startled the hell out this little man. I lifted myself back up off my knees trying to see what apparently he was seeing.

Suddenly there was another loud crack that threw a dark shadow across the white sky. Calahan cried out and quickly disappeared behind me wrapping his arms around my leg. All I could see of him was one of his frightened brown eyes glancing carefully from behind my leg. His squeeze around my thigh became tighter almost like he was binding himself around me like a knot. He was holding on for dear life it seemed.

Then I saw what he was afraid off…

I heard a loud roar or growl rather. I ruled out Werewolf's since I was sure they couldn't fly. But imploding through the white clouds emerged a pitch black serpentine like creature. It looked like a deep and dripping shadow. Around its snake like body were bolts of dark electricity encircling its form, slashing with volts of static. There were no facial structures or any other indication of what it could be but a long black serpent like thing. Suddenly there was that loud thunder again and it had come from it.

Calahan, still behind me, dug his face into my leg crying out loud. "NO, NO!" The black serpent circled across the sky restlessly.

"NO, NO. PLEASE GO AWAY! NO, GO AWAY!" Calahan bellowed scared. "EDWARD," he screamed. I turned around and reached beneath his pits and lifted him into my arms. The first thing he did was hiding his face in my chest and wrapping his hands and legs around me.

I patted his back nervously, shushing him. Whatever it was, it scared the hell out of Calahan. This little boy wasn't even intimidated by a werewolf and this was the boy that explained that memories can't hurt anyone. But Calahan reacted like IT could, his fear spoke for him.

"Calahan what is that?" I whispered in his ear while keeping a good eye on that shadow. I patted his back while he continue to sob into my chest.

"The… bad… thing…" he managed to choke out between sobs.

Apparently that thing was more than a memory if even he was afraid of it. Suddenly the serpentine shadow took a new turn and spiraled down towards us. I pressed Calahan closely to me and covered him in my arms. His screams became more hysterical as the darkness began coiling around us.

Dark and deep growls like grunts emerged from it. And suddenly I felt a presence, an evil I couldn't compare to anything else. It circled closely around us hissing as it went.

Calahan's hands around my neck and legs around my chest became air tight. He shuddered uncontrollably. What is that thing that has him so spooked?

I couldn't even tell which end was the head since both looked like tails. The buzzing and ripping noises of its black elemental electricity was numbing to the ears. It was so close I could easily have touched it.

Surprisingly it started to unwind itself from around us. What appeared to be the head, possibly, headed for ascension to the sky. The rest of its form still pulsated around us, slowly leaving our presence too.

Calahan peaked nervously up from my chest watching the snake make its get away.

As soon as the very tip of its tail like structure left us Calahan wiggled out of my embrace and jumped back to the ground, landing gracefully. He took hold of my hand and pulled me quickly away and we began running.

"Calahan slow down" I said while running.

"THERE IS NOT TIME! Luckily it hasn't realized that you are more than a memory, yet. It is not far now. We have to reach the golden window before it returns. If it does, all you've done so far will have been in vain."

"What are you trying to say?" I heaved between breaths. "Is it responsible for locking away the hope I'm suppose to find?"

"NO," he screamed. "However, it likes the idea of hope being disabled and locked away. It furthers its chance to one day brake free from its immortal prison. But there is no time to discuss such issues now. I have to get you to the golden window. It's not far."

I was confounded by his explanations but also relieved to hear that we were almost at our final destination. So if that thing wasn't a memory then what exactly was it? It appeared to be some shadowy entity. And what did Calahan mean when he said it was imprisoned?

In the back of my mind it appeared as if something wanted to push its way through. Some sort of thought or perhaps memory of my own awaiting to be recognized. But I couldn't push it forward. It was like some sort of barrage was in its way.

"THRERE IT IS," Calahan yelled. I looked up front still running along side him and caught the glimpse of an insignificant appearing golden light. Calahan hastened his pace and I kept up with him easily. The clouds and mists that passed by us looked like a snowy scenery.

The light grew bigger, not much, but at least it meant we were getting closer. Somewhere in the distance suddenly I heard a menacing growl. Calahan pulled on my hand harder urging me forward.

His run slowed as we approached the small golden screen. It was round, a perfect sphere and couldn't have been bigger than perhaps a basketball. Calahan let go of my hand and stood right in front of it sighing relieved when we arrived.

I couldn't see anything but its golden hue but surely the place I was suppose to go to lay behind it. Calahan whipped around.

"Sadly I won't be able to accompany you any further Edward." I grunted disappointed.

"Why not?" I asked. Calahan sounded like he was in a hurry.

"That place is for living and growing things. I am no longer part of that world. My place is here along with all the other things that once were and have passed on. My only hope is that I will not fade away completely."

I was a bit sorrowful that I'd have to say goodbye to him now. I had a lot of fun him. I bend down so our eyes were on the same level. I stretched out my hand mimicking his gesture the first time we met.

Calahan smiled and placed his small hand into mine. I shook it marveling at him.

"I can't begin to thank you enough for guiding me through all of this. You are a very special little boy and don't never let anyone tell you different."

Calahan's smile turned sad. His eyes were watery and despairing. "Thank you, Edward."

Though there was no time for this there was one last question I absolutely had to ask him otherwise I would curse myself forever.

"Calahan if you don't mind my asking… You see from the first moment I saw you something erupted inside of me, a thought actually. I would like to confirm or disconfirm it if that's alright with you." He nodded.

"Are you…? I mean I know that its not my place to ask but… Are you Bella's son?"

Everything around us disappeared and all that remained was him in front of me. I originally meant to ask if he was the son of Bella AND Helios but that he was kin to Helios seemed self explanatory. After all, the boy looked just like me.

His warm brown eyes drifted off to the side saddened yet again. He shook his head slowly from side to side, his beautiful bronze hair bouncing gently along side his forehead.

"No, I'm not Bella's son." The truth appearing in the form of stars in his eyes confirmed it. Calahan told the truth. But then he had to be related to Helios in some way. Perhaps he was Helios' little brother or perhaps a cousin of Bella's. Either way, he was a good boy.

I rose from my seated position and looked at the small round golden hole. How was I supposed to get through there? I wouldn't fit, impossible. Calahan must have seen the worry on my face and confided to me how to get in.

"All you have to do is touch the light and you will automatically be transported to where you must go." Calahan took several steps back. I could tell he was still nervous about _the bad thing _we had seen. Surely he wanted to leave this place and go to wherever he goes too.

Calahan ran off and left me standing alone in front of the window to hope. I glanced after him as he ran. He threw his head over his shoulder one last time and waved his hand up in the air. "Bye, bye" he yelled.

I waved at him too, smiling unconditionally. Disappointed I watched as Calahan grew dim and translucent and disappeared still waving at me.

"Thank you, thank you so much," I whispered after him. I wondered if I was ever going to see him again…

I took a deep breath and turned back around looking at the golden hole. So all I had to do was touch it? Yet again I heard a loud growl off in the distance somewhere behind me. What if that thing was headed my way? I had no other option but to do it now, there was no time to sit around debating it.

I reached out my hand and touched the golden light. Suddenly the light moved and consumed my entire arm and made its way up my shoulder and down my stomach and legs.

Everything in front of me turned golden. The white clouds and mists vaporized and I felt certain warmth. It felt good, it felt… hopeful. But not only that, I also felt love and… yet again, hope!

The golden color didn't last long at all. I could suddenly feel a strong fresh breeze flowing through my hair. Much like before I heard the crashing of waves except that these sounded stronger and more natural. Everything in front of me was blurry at first but it cleared up very fast.

I blinked trying to get rid of the blurriness. I rubbed my eyes trying to get the strange sensation of the flash out. I opened them.

The first thing I saw was beautiful green and juicy looking grass. For the first time I was also able to smell something again. The scent of lilies and freesias lay heavily in the air. I looked around and found myself in an awe striking meadow or field filled with a bed of wild yellow lilies and many freesias.

Around me, in every direction I could see the ocean. It was like I was on a large cliff in the middle of the sea. The aquamarine blue crystal sparkles of the water were so beautiful and clear. The sky too was cloudless and was colored in a beautiful blue. Wow I thought.

The natural scent of the water and the salt was soothing and refreshing to the nerves. I bend down and cupped one of the heads of the lilies in my palm. A morning dew drop was gliding down its pedal, glittering as it went. I could smell the sweet honey aroma of the flower, it smelt so good.

What a beautiful place indeed.

Huh? Suddenly I heard a sob. I got back up from the ground and glanced around. The magnificence of this place had almost completely rid me of my original intent. I was here on a mission to find something.

I was not alone. In front of me, about less than half a mile away stood someone in the distance overseeing the ocean and the form made it appear to be a female. Learning from my past mistakes I decided not to go straight for it but rather go in a circle so I could see her face sooner.

As I got closer I noticed a waterfall of shiny light mahogany hair falling down her back. She was clothed in a white dress. It was slightly longer in the back, dragging a bit on the ground. The white gown was also covered in a white curtain like scarf. It was however sleeveless and I could see her snow white arms. They were arched up and her hands must have been over her chest I thought curiously.

I was walking near the very edge of the cliff approaching her carefully. I was now close enough to get a good view at her face. Her eyes were hidden behind her hair that curved along side her face but I was able to see her lips. They were parted and slightly shaking.

The sob I heard only minutes ago must have come from her. One of her hands was in a fist and placed over her heart while the other rested over it. The first appearance would make it seem like she was praying but no, she was weeping silently to herself.

"Bella?" I whispered when I immediately recognized her facial features. She didn't answer me but continued to weep to herself, quietly.

"Bella? Bella can you hear me?" Is this the hope that Helios referred to? Is this… _her_? But it was Bella. Why couldn't he just have said that it would be Bella I'd be dealing with? I don't understand this.

"BELLA?" I bellowed. She didn't answer. She was very much aware it seemed so why didn't she answer.

I started to walk faster wanting to get to her quickly so we both could leave this place. It was still a mystery to me. Why would he send me on this fools errand? If Bella was restoring her _shield _and would have woken up either way then why go through all these lengths?

I was almost there, almost to Bella when suddenly…. A shrieking roar emanated and disrupted the peace and calamity of this place. I turned around to see that same black shadow that Calahan was so afraid of coming through that golden door.

It moved much faster though. It must have realized that I wasn't just a memory like Calahan said. What was it so afraid of? Of her, of Bella?

Swiftly I ran towards Bella praying I would reach her before that thing behind me would get to us. I was within range quickly and shot up my arm ready to snatch her and make a run for it but…

Suddenly I felt a cold and stinging sensation around my ankle and I was swept of my feet. I landed on my stomach and face on the ground. I turned on my back and saw that the shadow had wrapped part of its "tail" around my ankle, stopping me.

'NO" I yelled. I turned back over on my stomach and reached for Bella's gown, foot, or whatever part of her that would shift her attention to me.

I didn't even get that far. Suddenly the thing was pulling me backwards across the flowery field. I dug my fingers into the soft soil but it held no merit. Suddenly my feet, and eventually my legs were airborne until all of me was in midair. It snatched me off the ground and was dangling me around like a yo-yo.

I saw the golden door up towards the sky coming closer and closer. It was trying to get rid of me then, get me out of here so I wouldn't _awaken her. _But it was just Bella.

The coolness grew and traveled up the length of my leg. I looked down and saw its black tentacle encircling me and traveling up my body. I pushed up in midair and closed my fingers around its bleak form.

As soon as I touched its body black electricity that felt like molten steaming lava stunned my hands. I screamed and let go immediately. I wrapped my hand in my other groaning in agony but I knew that there was no time for that now.

It was my fault for hurting Bella so much. It was my stupidity and blindness that caused her to retreat so far into herself. Furthermore, I wanted to know what was so special about this Bella here, in this array of light, that would cause Helios' dilemma of how if _she _were awakened it would be beneficial to all vampires.

Its black tentacles wrapped themselves around both my legs pushing them together, and binding them. Its filthy paws slithered around my waist and eventually my chest until I felt its oily touch around my neck and arms. With all of its might it tried to get me away from here, away from this place, and away from Bella. I knew one thing, it was scared senseless of whoever this was, if it even was Bella, and tried to stop me from resurrecting it.

I saw its tar looking legs trying to consume my face too but it was in this moment when I thought I failed Bella when a familiar voice entered this realm.

"Love Edward… Love!"

Calahan's voice consumed my mind. How would you beat a cold shadow? With love then? Is that what he meant? Love…

I closed my eyes. I tried to ignore the disgusting sensation the chilly and wet tentacles brought as they wrapped themselves around me further, trapping me. I tried to think of the moments I had experienced the highest peaks that love had ever reached inside of me.

I thought of the night when I watched Bella walking along side of the road singing her ancient song. How beautiful she looked then, so calm and collected. The way she made her hair and sleet coat jacket fall in the exactly right place to create the perfection of poise.

I thought about that afternoon with the Moriatus. How I had thought all hope was lost and in the very last second before my sister was massacred Bella appeared and saved us all. The way she toyed with the Moriatus, and her strength brought out to me the pride, power, wisdom, and fearlessness I had always envisioned in the woman I would possibly fall in love with someday.

And then… when Jasper lay dying on the cold ground in Alice's embrace. The softness and sympathy in her eyes that proved to me that beneath the cold exterior was indeed a warm heart made me confess my love to her mentally.

Everything was made dim when she was around. Her beauty was greater than the waking world around me. Her grace and magnificence was more special than the rays of the moon at night time.

She is a woman, a strong woman, and a woman who's not afraid to show it.

She is softer than the angels themselves, and possesses more pride than the heathen gods of old. She is by any other definition my dream woman.

Suddenly I felt the shadows embrace lighten. Its claws weren't as tight as before. I acted immediately in response. I pulled up my pressed together legs and pushed down into the air and felt myself moving back towards the ground.

I ripped open my eyes and repeated the process. Once more I saw myself coming closer to the ground. I managed to wiggle one of my hands free painfully from the shadows grip and reached out to Bella.

I hollered in pain when all of a sudden a black wave of electricity ran across my entire body. I screeched and trashed with pain. It might be able to hurt my body but my mind it wouldn't break no matter what it tried.

I reached my hand out again after pulling back from the pain and yelled out Bella's name.

"BELLA! BELLA PLEASE! PLEASE BELLA REACH FOR ME." Extending my hand to her made her seem so close but she was still too far away. Why wouldn't she answer me? All I heard besides my own grunts, and the zapping of the electricity were the small cries that came from her.

"BELLA ANSWER ME. WHY WON' T YOU ANSWER ME? PLEASE! I'M BEGGING YOU. I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH LONGER I CAN KEEP THIS UP!"

WHY WOULDN'T SHE ANSWER DAMMIT! WHAT WAS WRONG WITH HER? Why wouldn't she answer to her own name?

Name… Her name? No, no, no, no it couldn't possible be could it?

(Flashback)

_"I wasn't referring to that. I asked a simple question concerning your identity. Is it so difficult to give away your name?" I'm sure she could tell the annoyance dripping of my voice as the venom in my mouth collected itself to form a whole new batch. I had to be careful not to hiss at her. She raised her eyebrows surprised and what seemed like appalled._

_"Simple? You're idiocy is remarkable young one. By your expectations it should be a simple matter to reveal ones name because of the way you were brought up by your human parents. Yet you have no respect, recollection or sympathy for the old ways nor do you invoke the lucid dogma that perhaps long ago it was believed that if you gave something or someone your name it would gain control and power over you."_

(Flashback over)

This is a joke my mind tried to conjure up. Please tell me she didn't lie about her name. I had originally thought that it might have been a lie since she at first made such a big speech about names but then turned around and told me mentally that her name was Bella.

But could there be something to what she said? That if I knew her true name I could obtain power over her and make her reach out to me? Was it worth the risk? She wouldn't answer me any other way. I called out to her numerous times now and not once has she answered.

Yet again, Helios said that this wasn't Bella. This was somebody else. Could that be why she wouldn't answer me? Did I have to uncover her name? But how on earth would I do that?

I brought my legs to my stomach again, and pushed up hard trying to keep myself close to the ground. The shadow was fighting me well, not halting its electrical surges. I was in an immense state of pain. The electricity set everything on fire inside of me. It was like a volcano exploded inside and now there was pure lava flowing through my veins.

Could there…? If this actually really was some form of Bella, one way or another then perhaps an answer lies in all that we ever discussed and she had said. But from the millions and millions of names to choose from how would I know?

If she truly originated from a dark place in time like Carlisle said then how would I know if her name is even still in usage? There was no way for me to know! But I had to try! I couldn't stop now not after Helios and Calahan went through such lengths to get me here. I WONT GIVE UP.

I closed my eyes while continuing to push up and away from that golden gate that I knew once I went through, this shadow would obliterate me. I had to do this now, and fast!

I had to think… I had to relive everything Bella ever said and collect any essential data I could. I HAD TO!

Was there ever any clue to her name?

_(Flashback)_

_"Have you never lost someone that caused your entire world to shift completely out of balance? Someone that was so important to you that life without them would seem unbearable? Please Edward, I have seen humans whom this has happened to and who are very informative on this as well. You cannot possibly tell me that you have never entertained such a state in which you would lose your father or one of your siblings and the emotions that would follow."_

-o-

_W-wait! What about your story? What about you?"_

_How did she survive the catastrophe that ended her people? Who was it that turned her? Who was she in general? Bella kept on walking slowly with me intently behind her._

_"What about me? There is nothing to tell. I am not interesting enough to have some sort of heroic tale. If you look into my past you will see nothing but failure, sorrow, longing, and plain pity. I am nothing but the shadow of what I once was and will never be again. You should not ask question concerning me. There truly is nothing of interest."_

(Flashback over)

You said you're nothing but a shadow of who you once were and will never be again… What were you? Who were you?

(Flashback)

_"Edward… I could only ever wish to be anything like her. She and I are very different. She was strong, proud, and a true warrior. She was able to open her mind and actually return words uttered to her from the spirits. I am nothing like her."_

_A sudden shadow moved across Bella's face, it was that sudden sadness again. From my perspective Bella was a strong and proud warrior. But only because I saw her as such didn't mean she or everyone else for that matter did. I sighed satisfied. I decided to believe her._

(Flashback over)

Were you two so different… really?

(Flashback)

…_She was my dearest friend. She was the only person that understood my pain, and my sorrow. She was heroic, and a powerful and wise vampire. The loss of her affected the people who knew her greatly, those that she still allowed to know her anyway. Even the trees became lonely when the last Lantean with the ability to speak to them was lost._

_I have not seen her nor heard from her since the wars ended, so nearly four thousand years ago. I followed many whispers and tales of how some vampires supposedly saw her passing through the shades of a tree. There were stories of her death, stories that she ascended, and of course stories that she still walks amongst us unseen._

_I have searched for her for a very, very long time. When she left it was like losing a part of me. I was so alone, and am still alone. I wish I could find her again, and then perhaps I could once more become who I used to be."_

(Flashback over)

Who you used to be…

_**Is this a dream?  
If it is  
Please don't wake me from this high  
I'd become comfortably numb  
Until you opened up my eyes**_

Could it be? I stared down at Bella while trying to fight this black kraken. She looked like she was praying, and sobbing while she went.

When _she_ was lost, you were lost. It was like loosing part of who you were. The darkness consumed you didn't it?

I watched Bella's lips part, quivering, crying.

Then is this who you truly are? The legend herself? The vampire that brought upon the end of the War of Wars?

_**To what it's like  
when everything's right  
I can't believe**_

I filled my lungs with all the air I could absorb and screamed out what I hoped to be the name of the woman staring over the horizon.

"CELEEEEEEEEEEEST!"

_**YOU FOUND ME  
When no one else was lookin'  
How did you know just where I would be?**_

Her body stirred like she had been struck. I watched it in slow motion over and over again. She threw her head over her shoulder letting her hair glide in the breeze, making it fall perfectly. Her face both held shock and depression.

_**Yeah, you broke through  
All of my confusion  
The ups and the downs  
And you still didn't leave  
I guess that you saw what nobody could see**_

"CELEST ALATHIELLE," I screamed at the top of my lungs.

Her eyes shook with surprise but I could detect a glee of hope in them. Then, suddenly, her features that had been filled with pure anguish and despair turned brighter until a smile appeared on her beautiful face.

"Edward…"

_**You found me… **_

My name, she said MY name and not his. She cried but smiled.

"CELEST!" I yelled again, stretching out my hand towards her. "Please, take my HAND!"

_**So, here we are  
That's pretty far  
When you think of where we've been  
No going back**_

She hesitantly stretched out her hand for but a moment before retreating it quickly back to her chest. She looked away, somewhat scared.

"DON'T DO THIS, I CAME FOR YOU. FOR YOU ALONE CELEST! THIS PLACE IS NOT MEANT FOR YOU."

She shook and looked back at me; taken.

"DON'T YOU SEE? THIS PLACE IS NOT FOR YOU! YOU OF ALL VAMPIRES DO NOT DESERVE TO BE SEALED AWAY IN HERE! PLEASE, TAKE MY HAND AND COME BACK WITH ME. RELIQUISH YOUR WINGS AND FLY HOME WITH ME!"

_**I'm fading out  
All that has faded me within  
You're by my side  
Now everything's fine  
**_

She smiled, her lips trembling and stretched out her hand towards me.

"Edward… I can sense your light… You're so warm…"

I tried to get closer to her but the shadow tried to prevent it. I pushed off in midair again getting closer to her. Suddenly its tentacle tried to wrap itself over my mouth. I don't know if I had decided on it or if it was an animal instinct but I opened my mouth and bit right down on it.

The electricity flowing through my mouth was painful but I wasn't the only one in pain. The shadow shrieked as my teeth pierced its strange texture. It was like biting into a pile of ash and chewing the sand like substance in your mouth.

That did it though, I pushed my arms out to either side of me along side my legs. I wiggled free of the shadow and began descending, and falling towards Celest.

She closed her eyes smiling blissfully. Her check touched her shoulder, almost as if she was shy. Our hands moved closer and closer to each other.

"Celest…" I whispered. She opened her eyes and our both hands touched! I froze in the air. My hand encircled her chilly touch but to me it felt delightfully warm.

This was her! This was the woman I had seen. There was no hardness in her face, and no bitterness. There was only softness, beauty, and love vibrating off of her which she passed on through me.

Everything in front of me went white and her face was gone.

* * *

As soon as the whiteness appeared it disappeared. The white went to black and I felt rain drops tickling me.

A familiar scent traveled up my nose. The scent of wild flower, fresh clean air, and freesias mixed in with lilacs quickly dominated me. I felt several small drops of water hitting my head and rolling down my face.

I opened my eyes and I was back in my meadow.

"What the…?"

Was all that just a dream or illusion? Suddenly I felt the touch of something freezing cold. I looked down and saw my hand tightly knot around Bella's. She lay on the ground, propped up with her elbow while her hand rested in mind.

Her expression was just as shocked as my own. But there was something different there now in her face. The dark shadows beneath her eyes were gone. The piercing red glare of her eyes had disappeared and was replaced with a comfortable glowing dark red. It looked sweet, and like red wine.

Her lips trembled as she looked from me to our connected hands and back.

I found you…

_Yes you did… _Helios whispered in my mind.

I awakened her I thought stupefied. I awakened one of the most powerful vampires of all time… The vampire who stopped the War of Wars; the vampire lord Celest Alathielle… Bella.

_**You found… me… **_

**(Authors Note) – **I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Please review and share your opinions. All are welcome as always. Next chapter will be interesting :)!


	33. Chapter 32

No Pain Tonight

As swift as the storm appeared it disappeared only leaving faint grey clouds in its wake. There was a strange coolness and cry on the breeze. The trees, they were talking amongst each other again. Though I could not imagine what there whispers meant I could grasp what it was that caught their interest.

My hand felt colder than it had ever felt before. The chilly touch of Celest Alathielle felt like a thousand needles stinging my hand. My mind told me to let go but my body compelled those thoughts and held on.

Her big red eyes stared with a new flame in them into my own. Their wideness was immeasurable, and I had never seen such surprise or shock on anyone's face.

I too was still immobilized. Somewhere inside of me though I had always suspected there to be a very special connection between Bella and Celest yet I never envisioned Bella and Celest being one and the same.

IT was even more difficult for me to believe that I was holding the hand of one of the most powerful vampires that ever walked this Earth. The vampire that ended the wars and murdered the demon Sekhmet was but a hairsbreadth away from me.

I retrieved my arm pulling Celest off the ground. Her eyes stayed on me and wouldn't inch away from my sight. We stood, right next to one another, and our hands were still connected.

"Welcome back," I whispered. That seemed to throw her out of her trance.

Her eyes blinked and she broke our touch. Suddenly as if just coming aware like a newborn babe she quickly turned her head taking in her surroundings. Even her movements seemed more different than before. There was a much more refined grace to them now, like a leaf gently gliding and dancing on the winds to kiss the top of a pond.

I looked around too making sure that no unexpected visitors had arrived while I had temporarily left the world of the living in search of her. There was nothing here but the two of us, and of course Alice's soaked leather coat and designer sun glasses.

I felt tickling kisses of wind touching my cheeks and nose and realized they came from the tips of Bella's or Celest's hair when she turned back around to face me. Her eyes were shaking, completely taken off guard. Her eyebrow's creased, sad, or almost worried.

She lifted her hands, shaking, in front of her face. I adored their perfectly shaped physique. She brought them close to her looking at them, and then turning them around.

Next she wove her hands through her hair, feeling herself thoroughly. Personally I thought that she was making sure this was not some sort of dream, or illusion and that she truly returned.

Her light brown strains of hair that peaked through her fingers looked like waves of water crashing through diamond stones; it was beautiful. Somehow I felt and saw that Celest was much more magnificent and gorgeous when she was herself and not that "alter ego".

She was so much more elegant, luxurious, royal, and majestic now. Unbelievably she appeared much younger too without the dark gazes and black dusty shadows beneath her eyes. .

"I…" she began to speak. "I… am… alive…?" I blinked stunned.

"Well, of course you're alive. Why wouldn't you be…milady?" Her mere presence, aura, and history demanded the respect of any vampire.

She looked at me with her big red searing eyes. They dripped with astonishment. "Milady?"

Her confusion was very apparent on her face. "I am frequently called that… but not by you…" I was about to respond when she looked away and back at her hands.

She observed the trembling in her fingers, the awakening to the world she departed from so long ago. I would love to see what's going on inside of her head. But just like before, she remained a complete mute.

"There is strength in these decadent fingers. How dirty and lifeless they are." I glanced over her fingers and saw them clean as a clear blue sky. However, metaphorically speaking Bella or rather Celest might have a different opinion.

"So much time spent in utter ruin. No sound but the whispers of my own dark fate unfolding before me. Like phantoms of the night they edged across my flesh, tearing, and biting as they went.

So much time lost to the vacuum of emptiness, and yet it appears as if there is still so much of it left.

The world I left in my wake when I journeyed to slumber resides still beneath the shadows of all this devilry. The old flames, extinguished, yet the new ferociously scorches the life of all things.

Where is the dark blue firmament and its diamond carbuncles? The streams of pink, green, and red all but spent. These dull skies hold no more desire and no lingering lust to pilgrimage to the farthest gate.

The enkindled ray of Elysium holds no sway over the western wood any longer…" Celest faced me, her eyes over come with grief.

"Why have you brought me back to this blackened world? What gave you the courage to wander into my deepest despairing thoughts? Who are you if not Edward Cullen?"

Wonderful I thought surprised. All the questions I longed to answer but was disabled to do so. Already I felt the pressure of electricity flowing through me. Helios was preventing me to speak before I could even open my mouth.

Celest after mere seconds impatiently shook her head and huffed through her nose.

"The stench of this eternally suffering kingdom repulses me. The hope, forever in my mind, will soon fade. It is crumbling beneath these vengeful beasts; as if though Babylon was resurrected from its fiery grave."

I swallowed the small pool of venom build up in my mouth nervously. "I'm sorry you couldn't be resurrected into a world of your standards." As hard as I tried not to make it sound sarcastic, it still leaked through.

She tore her gaze back at me. Fortunately I didn't see any ill will in her eyes which allowed me to relax but only so much. Her bright round orbs traveled the length of me as if she was only seeing me for the first time.

The small stars glittering in her eyes were like lightning bolts setting all aflame they impacted. There was such a hypnotic presence around her that it was almost horrifying. Horrifying because she could make me do anything she pleased, if only she asked.

She turned her body towards mine and closed the small distance between us with but one step. Wearily she tilted her head raising her brows whipping my nerves with their long black lashes.

Suddenly her snowy hand appeared next to my face, the top of it steadily tracing my cheek without touching it. There was a jerk inside of me. Without warning my limbs began trembling as I felt all the energy in my bones leaving me. My legs shook vigorously before my right knee hit the ground. As if some evanescent force pushed me to bow to her.

"I give you my gratitude." Her sweet breath swept across my face like an untamed wind along a landscape. It smelt so appealing, and on my tongue it tasted sweeter than blood itself.

My eyes rotated to her hand, puzzled and confused. "How are you… What are you… doing?" My first thought occurred to her telekinesis but it was untrue.

I remembered it well when she had used the power of her mind against me. My entire being became rigid that night in the alley of Port Angeles. I felt pressure piercing up against me, and holding me in place. Yet, this force was different. It was benevolent and soft, a sensation almost.

A crooked grin appeared on her perfect marble face. "You underestimate the competence of the ancients."

I blinked wearily. "The compet-… the power of the ancients?" She huffed shaking her head softly.

"I have explored the crystalline path leading to the shores of the ancestors for an abundant time. The gifts uncovered along the way you and others would perhaps consider being unnatural."

Her power had me on my knee like a warrior ready to be knighted. I could say no more, I couldn't think of anything but staring into the eyes of the woman I had wanted to meet for quite some time.

Maybe it was the clearance of being back in the world of the living that caused her smile to falter. Perhaps it was pity or mercy that made her hand wash away. But most certainly it could have been plain boredom with the scene that made her take a step back, undoing that strange spell in the process.

Immediately after I felt some life in me again I stood up watching her closely. She turned to her side laying her head on her shoulder; tiredly.

"What will you do now that you're back, Celest?" Before I even finished my sentence a irritated puff flared through her nostrils. "You should not use that name beyond the boundaries of Elysium. That name is no longer safe."

I retained myself from asking why. I already knew. There are those that would challenge the power that she possesses. The Volturi in particular, Aro, who would want that power to himself.

"What should I call you then?" I asked confused. Déjà vu I though amused. This wasn't the first time I pondered over what to call this lady.

"You may use the alias I have given you from before. It has been my identity for nearly three thousand years. It has served me well and shall continue doing so."

I cracked a grin. "_Bella_ then?" She nodded, confirming. "I like that name. It suits you."

She smiled raising one of her eyebrows. "My true name does not satiate your pallet?"

"Oh no, no," I threw up my hands in defense. "I only meant that the meaning of the name is very forthcoming. Besides, I have known you as Bella for the past few weeks, and have come to know you by that name." I smiled, trying to savor the small comical atmosphere between the two of us.

She broke it, and looked at me appalled and disappointed. "You do not know me." She whispered while shaking her head.

I pursed my lips wishing I could redo what I already said. "Maybe not Bella or maybe I do." I peaked her interest. "Explain," she said.

"True that I don't know exactly where you come from or how old you really are but I know that you're someone that cares. I might not know what your favorite color is, your favorite flower, season or hobby but I can see that you are a good woman." She looked away, laughing, and shaking her head unbelievingly.

"I have seen your strength against the Moriatus, and…" She whipped back around.

"You refer to that as strength?" I nodded repeatedly. Bella squinted her eyes glaring at me dumbfounded. "Well, I call it child's play."

"Pardon?" I asked surprised. "The imprisonment of my true self within the barracks of my thoughts hindered my true potential to illuminate my identity. The weaponry I used to vanquish that beast merely scratches the surfaces of what us old ones are capable of."

I didn't believe her. She noticed and snickered. "So young, and so naïve," she whispered. "You allowed mortality to consume your mind to the brink in which it cannot believe the unbelievable. Yet, you claim yourself to be of my kin."

"But the, the Moriatus fought so hard and.. and…", "And nothing" she finished.

"That pillar of rock knew the inevitable silence had approached its life. It knew I would end it." Bella's frame shifted slightly though the bitterness and cruelty were nowhere to be seen. "How?" I asked enraged, almost.

"They always know. They always seek the venom of our kind, the elixir of immortality. It tastes sweet and savoring to them, like honey to a bee. Yet they know that the most blissful of taste extends their own reach. For the oldest of our species are the most powerful beings upon Gaia.

An ancient's drop of venom to them is like a warm spill of human blood; fresh, hot, smooth, and finger licking good. But this is what they may never taste. Their might is given, and will never change.

However, vampires grow to become much more powerful beings with the turn of the pages. Moriatus are no match for those that have sailed for as long as I.

Only imagine, the greatest desire only inches from you yet always out of reach. Eternally unable to satisfy the greatest need for drink or satisfy desire for the oldest flesh of the immortal but immortal yourself," Bella closed her eyes smiling. "The torment of Tantalus."

Finally she said something that clicked in my head. Tantalus was a man in Greek mythology that was punished by Zeus to stand in a pool of water. Whenever he reached for a fruit from a branch the branch would rise above, and if he tried to cup a drink of water it would wither away.

I barely noticed the gentle vibrations in the ground while I flew though my mind recollecting the ancient myths, and wondering that if all the ancient gods were vampires including Zeus if not Tantalus might have been a real man. I looked up noticing Bella gracefully drifting away into the woods.

"Where are you going?" I yelled after her. Bella half way glanced over her shoulder, only looking at me from the corner of her eye. "To be what I am means to be alone." She strutted towards the trees and with a quick wave of goodbye she was gone.

Immediately my feet became hot, heat flowed towards my toes and I was off. I made a quick pursuit using her scent has a rope to hold on. There were still too many questions burning holes in my mind, holes that only she could stitch up.

Besides, Helios said that once Celest was awakened everything I basically ever wanted to know would be clear to me. Maybe there was something else that needed to be done. Could it be that the "rescue" was not yet over? My cold heart wanted to throb and pound out of my chest. It was telling me what it wanted, what I wanted.

My pursuit of Bella was still ongoing and that after 20 minutes running at my top velocity. Where exactly was she going? I must have been out of Washington State for the past few minutes and already crossed the Canadian border.

While I ran I noticed something rather peculiar about the trees passing by. If my sanity was still intact it looked as if they seemed more chipper and lively. Bella had stated about herself that I suppose when she went to slumber the capability to speak to the green was lost to her. Now, that she was back, the trees had someone to talk to again.

Strange, just pure strange I thought sheepishly. I never envisioned communication with plant life on that scale. I still wonder what the mechanics of that _power _were or how the Lanteans became as physiologically advanced as they did. Thinking along the lines of evolution was a bit out of reach. I didn't believe that they evolved to such a stage of superiority without influence.

Where was Bella going? I was well into Canada by now. Suddenly from a distance I heard a gentle and rhythmic melody. I kept my eyes wide open and stayed keen on her scent. The thickness of the wilderness lessened and there was more room to breathe.

From afar I could see s small cliff surrounded by only two trees. I stopped right at the edge. I was still in the forest but stood on a small drop overseeing a small and beautiful lake. The height was perhaps that of only a two story building leading from me to the surface of the water.

I looked down and found the origin of the melody. Bella stood in the water covered to her waist glancing down at her palm with a small locket nestled there. I saw a small path behind me leading down to the edge of the lake so I followed it.

The melody began to repeat itself. In that small instance I noticed that it seemed broken. It sounded like it was interrupted or it started to play from the middle of a song rather than the beginning.

I reached the edge of the water and marveled at its crystal clearness. There were beds with water lilies off to the side and around where the lake touched the foot of the cliff. Their pedals seemed like they were closing, ready to prepare for the winter sleep.

Ah jeez! I was going to hear it from Alice. I forgot her jacket and glasses. Oh well, I'm not worried about it.

I debated whether or not to take of my shoes but saw that Bella didn't. I think too much.

I stepped in the water feeling an agreeable sense of warmth. I graced my fingers across the top of the water watching the small waves formed expand faster than I walked, and reaching Bella before me.

"That's a beautiful sound," I said to her while watching a small crystal like lily rotating in the center of the locket. It was round and flat, and covered with small spikes. It resembled a sun made of some bronze material.

"A sound not heard since the elder days…" Bella closed her hand and closed the lid of the locket ending the xylophone like lyric.

"Helios gave it to you didn't he?" Bella, startled, looked at me surprised. She smiled quickly covering up her reaction. "I suppose this was an unattractive mystery to uncover."

"Well it was a bit obvious. The same glimmer of sadness was in your eyes when you confided to me about him." Bella's one eyebrow rose, impressed.

"Advertent," she whispered. A smug smile appeared on my lips. "Just a bit," I whistled proudly. "A malignant stature to poise, especially in the old world unless it is contained and not overshadowed with stagnant pride."

My smiled faded. Bella slightly glared at me from the side like a teacher would at his or her pupil.

Bella pulled the locket underwater to her side, storing it in her pocket I suppose. If Helios gave her that locket than the artifact itself must be thousands of years old. I didn't even know technology like that existed so many years ago. I questioned to how technologically advanced the Lanteans were.

I took another step through the water, it in turn capturing me just beneath my stomach. There was a question like so many others searing within me but this one was more prominent than any other.

"What is a vampire lord?" I watched Bella closely while speaking. I noticed she shuddered just a bit. It would have been to fast and faint for human eyes to see. She swallowed turning her head away. A sore subject perhaps?

She opened her mouth to speak even breathing air in but closed it again, biting her lip. She looked back at me, her eyes traveling back and forth between me and the lake. She seemed to be nervous.

"A Vampire Lord is something of legend." My brows came together confused. "You introduced yourself, I guess, in that manner."

She shook her head. "I only did so hence I was introduced into vampire history as such." I didn't buy it.

"I still don't understand. If others gave you such an exaggerated status why refer to yourself so?" Bella sighed. She was getting agitated with me not accepting her explanation.

"Fine!" She said firmly. "A vampire lord according to lore is a being of… of great sadness. An imprisoned conscience doomed to forever wander the landscapes of the physical realm. They are never able to move forward and yet unable to be forgotten by time.

They are champions of Gaia. They preserve and guard the farthest gate and are the only defense against atrocious evil. They are keepers of lineage, pilferers of humanity, and maintain the eternal life stream of this planet."

Bella crossed her arms over her chest agonizingly. "Satisfied sweetling?"

I nodded slowly rolling my eyes. "Yeah, sure," I chocked.

"My turn," she said sourly. I looked up surprised. "Why…?" She huffed. "How did you do what you did?"

I shrugged my shoulders playing stupefied. "What do you mean?" I tried to smile playfully but two dark shadows beneath Bella's eyes froze it in place.

"Do… Not… Play… game with me." I wasn't scared anymore. The Bella from before when angry I was afraid of. But this Bella, the soft and sympathetic features upon her face betrayed the rage that tried to surface.

I however was now forced to give her an explanation. I didn't consider for but a minute going down the path that Helios laid out before me. I'm sure if I tried to tell her about him he would stop me. But why would she need to ask? Wouldn't venenum memoria be sufficient enough to get her the answers desired?

I felt a bit rigid but now or never. "When I found you in the meadow, I didn't know what to do. You wouldn't comply to anything. I tried to shake you, call out your name but you wouldn't answer. I felt responsible for putting you in that situation so I wasn't going to surrender.

After calling your name, trying to shake you awake, and all else failed I only had one option left. Even though I know that I can't read your thoughts I figured it couldn't hurt. I touched your forehead and concentrated as hard as I could to see if you were still with me. At first there was nothing.

All I saw was blackness and not one single sound in range. I began concentrating harder until I felt something like an electric jolt. So I decided to focus on it alone. Once I did that I felt myself being pulled, almost like an out of body experience.

The next thing I knew I was somewhere surrounded my mists and clouds, and being attacked by a werewolf."

Before I even finished fusing the truth with lies Bella was already pursing her lips, smiling crookedly, and shaking her head. I had to make her believe it was the truth. Otherwise she'll just perform venenum memoria and she'll know about Helios. I didn't think it was a bad event but I felt that it could be.

There was silence and she said nothing. It was quite possible that she was waiting for me to continue, and so I did.

"Once I was there I was able to overcome the werewolf with a bit a help. At first I didn't know where I was or what had happened. But then a small child appeared and told me everything I needed to know. After tha…" Bella interrupted bewildered.

"Small child?" I nodded agreeing. "Yes, he said that his name was Calahan and that he would lead me…" Bella's lips parted and a breath of despairing air escaped her mouth. Her entire face became scrutinized with agony, and pain. Her hand found the her chest, lying over where her heart once beat.

"What's wrong?" I asked worried. Bella's lisp trembled with sobs erupting from her throat. "C-calahan?" She asked dismally.

"Yes. A small boy, he said he was only about six. You know, bronze colored hair, bright brown eyes, ornery, witty, smart, and charming. You must know him. He's your memory"

Then it dawned on me. I closed my eyes grinding my teeth irritated. Calahan, you small trickster I thought amusingly annoyed. Of course… not the son of Bella but rather…

"He… is my son…" Bella whispered sadly. The son of Celest Alathielle; Calahan. They had a child. Surprisingly I did not find this realization upsetting but instead it made me smile. But the question to how his precious existence was torn away from Bella and eradicated caused me distress.

"Now do you see…" she whispered, invisible tears running down her white cheeks. My mind became dark, and gray. My countenance must have been reflecting just that when I saw myself in Bella's pain stricken eyes.

"I… lost… my home," she cried. "The place from whence I came; all the people whom I cared about are dead and gone including my parents. My people are buried and wandering aimlessly through the planet beneath the ground. My…" Bella's eyes closed, her entire face was shaking and sobbing.

"My consort… dead. He died… next to me in that small grey boat. He was cold, and without life. I lay in his dead arms, cradling myself to his memory. Over three days had passed and I still lay in his arms as life was leaving me too. But then… Sekhmet.

And my boy," a coughing sob crawled from within her, a strong one. "My sweet, sweet boy. He… drowned. There… was nothing… I could have done…" Ah, jeez.

"All gone, all but me. I must sail forever and see the final days of this world, and beyond. All alone, without hope for the future." I closed my eyes, too weak to see the sadness on Bella's face.

"ALL THESE MILLENNIA I HAVE BEEN ALONE! Unable to love, to seek out the light, but ever so able to reach it. It was forever more too much to bear. It was all taken from me but within one rotation of the Earth. Always trapped in darkness and doubt, destitute and forsaken; hollow but little more than ash.

If you can live forever what would you live for? What is left to salvage here in this world?"

Bella's fingers shuddered while digging into her chest, over her heart. Her form seemed weakened like she was about to faint. She rotated her shaking head achingly towards me, her face cracking with pain.

"I am dying… inside…"

I couldn't form words to reply to her with. They were all lost and afraid to come forward.

"No sentient being should live for as long as I have. I am so empty…"

My eyes narrowed. "No you're not." Bella sighed defeated.

"You have no idea who I am," she said. "Oh don't I?" I countered. I stepped around Bella, carefully; both my hands reached her cheeks. I cupped her cold face in my hands reflecting my own paining expression in her eyes. Bella's eyes were wide with surprise at my gesture.

"I know exactly who you are, Bella." Her eyelids sank tiredly and she wanted to look away but I didn't allow it.

"Listen to me, and listen to me good," she was barely aware of me. I used my thumbs as anchors and ran them across beneath her eyes trying to make her listen.

"I saw what you are…. I know what you are. I saw you take a stand, using your body as a shield to protect me but not only me, all my family. You risked your life in order to preserve ours. You could have died; you could have thrown away your life when you challenged the Moriatus. Irregardless of how weak they are compared to ancient vampires you still saved us.

I see in you the heroism I always dreamed of. I see in you what I hope vampires are going to be. I see that you don't care for the petty needs that others of our kind seek.

You cherish life above all else. You worship it because you know that it is the most precious thing our planet has. You rise with the sun towards the east, and wander with the moon at night. You respect all life forms regardless of how small they are. The trees that so many are unappreciative of are your closest friends. You sing with them.

You are selfless. You hunt the very shadows that could threaten our existence. You hunt them alone because you don't want us living in fear and you take all that weight and put it on yourself. You have no idea how much you NOT see yourself clearly.

Besides that, you have no idea what you have done to me!"

Bella's eyes shrunk at my last sentiment. She thought I meant it negatively.

"Before you, my life was a wasteland of nothingness. I stood on a field, a dead field, with nothing but my own mind to keep me company. It was consumed in darkness with endless chatter of nonessential silliness; hell

There was nothing of worth, and nothing that could ease the pain of passing decades. I walked on a passage of my own dreams, shattered, spilled, and forgotten. And there were countless obstacles making me fall, and no one was there to help me back up.

Then, one night when I lay there comfortable in my own nothingness I saw something across my horizons. A light appeared. It was a star.

The star was so far away, and shrouded in mists of a mysterious aura. And for the first time in nearly a century I helped myself off the ground and tried to reach that beautiful star. It shone with such a brilliant radiance that even from afar it awoke new life in me.

That star was you Bella." Her eyes fluttered startled. She had no words to speak of.

"I wished upon your light so many times. I wished for you to come down to earth. I wanted you to join me and bring new light into my darkness. I knew that you had the power, and the love to make all I resent disappear.

I wished, and I wished. I thought I was going mad. I thought that I would give up but I continued to push on because I wanted my star to come down from the sky.

Then one day, the star became a shooting star. You flew over my darkness, over all that void and dripped drizzles of golden hope. They seeded inside of my world, and brought with them a ray of light I always wanted.

Finally my star had come down from the horizons and landed in my world. You illuminated the night and turned it into a forever lasting day. You sprouted new life within me and now it is blooming. Its nectar that springs from that life I collect to give to you. A gift and a hope to show you that I UNDERSTAND!

You have no idea of the beauty I see in you. You can't imagine what a magnificent light you unleash from yourself. And for all that you have already bestowed it slays me to see how much pain this enchanting star must endure.

And I see it Bella. I see your despair, and your sorrow. Your eyes show me everything I need to know about you. I see in them the uncountable years spent alone and without anyone by your side. They tell of many atrocities you witnessed. I see the ancient past glistening in them.

But what I still see, underneath that evil is the everlasting hope.

I see the eyes of someone that knows that there is yet good in this world, and that it is worth FIGHTING FOR!" A small sob escaped my own mouth.

Bella's lips shivered as her face pulled into a new expression. Even though she cried between my hands I could see that these tears were not unhappy. For a moment she looked down but quickly her eyes found mine again. She unchained her stiffness and relaxed her face into my hands.

"Edward… I can't," my thumb reached over to meet Bella's lips, silencing them.

"No. There will be no pain or doubt tonight. No, Bella."

I massaged Bella's temples with my thumbs. My palms cupped her cheeks, slowly feeling the softness and delicacy of her skin. My face felt loose, and weak. How easily my lips pulled into a tender smile.

My hand cupping her right cheek left and my fingers drew across her face. My index finger traced a smooth line down between her eyes and nose. Gently my finger continued its path finally passing down the center of her lips. My other hand freed her face too. Its fingers traveled across Bella's forehead and across her hairline washing away the feathery strains of her hair.

Bella closed her eyes, smiling. I encircled her face once more and touched my forehead to hers. A surge of electricity and excitement pulsed inside of me. A sudden heat emerged out of the coldness that Bella's touch provided.

"Edward…" she whispered. I reached out my lips and kissed the bridge between her eyes. What a feeling it was. To my lips her skin felt even smoother than my hands and fingers.

I lowered my head so our eyes were on one level. My lips reached out again kissing the tip of her nose. I opened my eyes to see inside of hers. They shuddered nervously. The redness of her orbs was like the dawn. I wished I could swim and bath in their glamour.

I allowed my fingers to slide down her marvelous cheeks until all of them traced the lines of her lips.

Suddenly Bella's breath and my own collided creating a new sweet and perfect aroma. Her scent and mine were like two puzzle pieces that fit together perfectly, and like they always should have. I rested my nose next to hers, filling my lungs with her incredible scent. Freesias, lavender, jasmine, and the sweet smell of brimstone filled my insides and set them on fire.

Bella's icy touch unexpectedly lingered on my chest and above my heart. Her hand crawled up my chest before I felt her sweet touch on my neck. Her fingers tickled me as they rose to my face and enveloped my cheek.

She caressed me with her hand as my face lay on hers. I closed my eyes and relaxed in her presence. I felt her body up against mine and it felt right. Abruptly Bella gently pushed my face away from hers but stopping soon so there were still only millimeters between us.

Her fingers reached my lips and I parted them. Once more our two breaths touched creating a firework of scents. I couldn't believe how satisfying and hypnotizing our combined aromas smelt.

My hands drifted down from Bella's face and down her sides. I wove them around her back, anchoring them there. I hugged her close to me, so tight that no air could possibly pass between us.

Our lips were so close, and I yearned painfully for their touch. Every second grew longer and longer. The combined bouquet of our scents was mouthwatering but I began to thirst for more.

Bella's fingers ran across my cheek again, cupping it. She placed her nose just beneath mine, and I could feel her cool breath on my lips.

"A lion and a lamb can fall in love but how will they overcome their instincts?"

Dreamily I opened my eyes that saw nothing but the silky texture of her light mahogany hair. I smiled.

I repositioned my face so I could directly stare into Bella's sparkling eyes, filled with desire.

"As you said, with LOVE," I whispered to her. I bent down and closed my eyes. Bella leaned forward and I cradled her to me.

My lips encircled hers. A cold but mesmerizing wave washed through my body. A new candle was lit inside of me as my lips enclosed hers. The main seedling of love that was born when I first saw her now bloomed, spreading its branches and revealing its green leaves filled with life.

Bella's arms crossed behind my neck. Her fingers ran slowly and controlled through my hair, and pulling my head tighter to hers. She began moving her lips in the same instance as I.

I tasted the sweetness on them, the sweetness of her. She trapped my upper lip in hers, kissing it softly.

A quiet sob made her lips quiver. What was she thinking about I wondered.

Nothing could distract me from this perfect moment I thought. Bella's lips crashing against mine, sweetly, enjoying the loving embrace of one another. There was no distraction I thought strongly but as it turned out, there was.

From the blackness in front of my eyes I suddenly began seeing images. I saw a field, a large field with people running around. It was the clearing where we played baseball. Bella's memories? She opened her mind to me?

Her memories began to zoom in somehow and focused solely on me. I saw myself standing there with a blank visage.

_He looks just like him… _I heard her thoughts in my mind but they must have been the ones of back then, what she was thinking in the memories.

The image changed to the night in Port Angeles. There was I, turning around repeatedly as she watched me so closely from behind. The memory shifted to when she had me pinned against the wall.

_His touch is so warm… so enticing. He's beautiful… more beautiful than him… _

The next flash showed me with an angry expression shouting at her. How worked up I got that night when I pursued her into the woods, ridiculous.

_He seems adorable when agitated… how funny he looks… _

Suddenly I saw the Moriatus before my eyes, already have beaten down. It extended its wing, pointing its sharp claw like end directly towards me. I saw the wing slash out towards me, standing up against the tree.

_NO! NOT HIM! _

Then I heard the Moriatus laughing as I stared down at its pointed wing tip inside of me or Bella. I saw my own fingers on her hips, shuddering with worry.

_He cares? He cares for me? But why? I am nothing to him, just another Valar… Who would care for something like me? _

Then I saw the horrific vision of Jasper right in front of me. How he was so badly massacred, and dying. Then I saw myself looking down on Bella. I was beseeching her, pleading her to help him…

_Anything for the ones you love… Is this what a family is? I can't remember what it feel's like to have one. But for you…. I will break the seals laid out from the ancestors. For you Edward… anything… _

Bella…

_You were a sun rise into my ancient world. I saw in you all that I am not and I longed for it. But I was too proud and felt not deserving of such a peace of mind. I have seen and done so much reckless evil in the name of the Valar. But I am what I am. I follow the path that fate has laid out before me willingly and blindly. _

_I now see that fate cannot determine my actions or my will. I have to unfold my own destiny. And… and I want to embrace it with you; by my side. I want to love again. _

_I love you. _

A sob overcame me and I pressed her violently against me even tighter. I moved my lips along side hers in synch. I unwove one of arms from around her back and found the rich forest that was her hair. I caressed her head, moving it with mine to form the absolute bliss I had always craved.

Our lips shouted for more but remained controlled and loving. Bella's hand found my cheek while the other still moved through my bronze messy hair. She ran her fingers up and down my cheek. I felt her fingers tracing the outlines of my ear. They playfully tickled the back of it before she slightly pressed my earlobe with her thumb and index finger.

I couldn't help but moan slightly, and losing myself into her magical spell. Our kiss, here and tonight would never fade from my memory. It was my first, and would always be my only. There was nothing else I wanted from life. All I asked was to keep the goddess in my arms forever and ever.

Wherever she'd go I would follow. I would pursue her across the globe if only to stand in her shadow. I would dive into the deepest oceans to find only perhaps one pebble if it meant it had a trace of her scent.

Please… let this moment last forever. I don't want to stop kissing her, holding her. I don't want her to stop telling me that she loves me the way I love her.

This night of no pain, worry, sorrows, and burdens should forever remain in our hearts.

_Bella… to you, and only to you do I give the greatest gift I could ever give anyone. I give you all that I am, and all that I can be. My past, present, and future belongs to you; do with them as you will. You, the star I wished upon finally made that wish come true._

_You came to me and set all my world aglow and blessed me with your presence. _

_You might not see it yet but YOU ARE the good thing that happens to those that whisper their prayers at night…_

_Bella… No…Celest?_

_I love you…_

**(Authors Note) – **Hope you guys enjoyed. Next few chapters will be slow but filled with Edward and Bella's building relationship, history of the ancients, and also the origin of Elysium and Atlantis. But soon the good times will come to an end. Please review and share your thoughts.


	34. Chapter 33

The Four Species

Dare I even think it? Never thought I'd be relaxing on my couch smiling at the ceiling and just thinking about how good life can actually be. For once I paid attention to the bit of sun light peering in through the curtains and illuminating my room. It was midday and I love it.

Four days had passed since Bella and I were at our lake somewhere in Canada sharing our first kiss. It was also my first kiss. I had seen this act of affection so many times on television and theater. Countless times had I read about it in books, and even envied the vividly described details I thought I'd never know.

Is this what everyone's been going on about? Well they all were right and I was wrong. The bliss that filled you when sharing such a passionate embrace like I did with Bella is incontrovertible.

We lay there for hours. After we left the watery grave of the lake we lay out in the grass, next to each other and simply stared at the sky. The moon was so big and it felt like I was seeing it for the very first time. The diamond filled sky seemed so magnificent.

I held her in my arms and breathed in the deep aroma that defined her. Every breath was like Christmas morning. Each stroke of her divine head was me unwrapping one gift after another.

I remember how she lay over my chest, cradling herself into me. Her little finger traveled and tickled up and down my chin and I adored it. I never realized that such peace could exist. For once in my life I felt my worries flutter away with the pain of yesterday.

I never wanted it to end. I could have lain there forever as long as she was there with me.

So many thoughts raced through my mind that night especially about Bella. I relieved so many memories when she was covered in all those veils of mystery. But now the curtains were rising, and revealing one treasure after another.

Unfortunately our time came to an end when the sun began to rise towards the eastern hemisphere. I didn't mind though. I wanted to go back to Forks and show the others that I had been reinvented.

I wanted to clarify and show them that I was capable of everything they were.

On the way back I tightly grasped Bella's hand, riveting in her cold touch that seemed so familiar and pleasant now. I became more excited when she gently nudged her thumb along side of mine.

We didn't say much on the way back. I only ever stared into her eyes. They were continuous sun rises, and rose every time I looked at them. She smiled crookedly and smugly whenever I'd steal a glance at her.

The most fun was when we got to the small lake that flowed just behind the mansion. I remember it too good.

"Oh Edward please," Bella complained. I was adamant though. "C'mon, just this once." I made a discovery that night. I had a power I never knew I had.

I encircled Bella's hands in mine and held them over my heart. I touched her forehead with mine and dreamily gazed into her eyes that were glaring at me playfully.

"Please?" I had whispered innocently. Bella rolled her eyes and sighed, already defeated. "Just this once sweetling," she said agitated.

I swooped her up like a bride in my arms chuckling victoriously, and twirling my imaginary mustache. It took only one leap and we were on the other side of the small river.

I stood firmly on the other side smiling down at her shaking and embarrassed face. "Was that so bad?" She rolled her eyes at me again, they were so beautiful. "If anybody I KNOW had seen that…," she tried to say but I finished the sentence for her. "…they would say who is that handsome youth carrying her?"

Bella sighed chuckling and closing her eyes. "How do you yanks put it? Cocky?" I laughed out loud. "Definitely," I whispered and leaned down for a kiss on her soft and enticing lips.

My own laugh filled my room. A seldom noise these walls usually never hear.

We made it to the house with everyone already awaiting us inside. The first faces I saw were the anxious glimpses of Carlisle and Esme.

"Where were you? I've been worried Edward." Esme's motherly voice scorned me. Carlisle breathed a fresh air of relief rather than anything else.

I didn't like their thought patterns. They both didn't know what happened after Alice, Emmett, and Rosalie told them that I disappeared with Bella into the woods. Alice reassured them that I was safe and Bella wouldn't inflict any harm yet parents always worry no matter what you tell them.

I especially liked the surprised and eye widening look I saw on Esme when she noticed Bella's and my hand intermingled. Suddenly all the worry and mistrust she had placed on Bella evaporated.

"I put some new candles in your room since the others were burnt down. I hope you don't mind dear?" Esme's glow was mesmerizing. For too long had she worried about me.

Bella gave her a small smile. "Thank you." Esme smiled even brighter, "You're welcome." Carlisle too had seen our hands joined and tried to hide his smile. However, he was still a bit nervous. Unlike me, he virtually knew nothing about her.

"I think it's time to clarify some things don't you?" I had asked Bella. She looked at me with a sudden hardness in her face and I already sensed there would be restrictions.

_You may not tell them of my true identity. Say nothing of Atlantis. It is a memento of the past that should not be revisited unless I chose so. Do not speak of Helios or what happened when our minds linked. Do not even mention that._

I looked into Carlisle's thirsting eyes when Bella whispered the rules to me mentally. He looked so excited and impatient. There were so many questions he wanted to ask a living breathing ancient that he didn't even know where to begin.

"Let us go into the living room shall we?" Carlisle invitingly poised his hand towards the living room where I detected everyone else already.

Emmett and Jasper were playing a round of chess while Rosalie was engulfed in Vogue magazine. Alice sat next to her pointing out the newest fashion trends.

Quickly we moved across the foyer into the living room. Esme was close next to Bella; her hand on Bella's back guiding her. She was overdoing it just a bit. Everyone stared at us when they finally saw us.

Emmett grinned, Jasper just smiled at Bella, Rosalie was expressionless yet surprised, and Alice glared at me.

_You're going to pay for my ruined stuff_, she shouted at me mentally. I sighed. Why not just get it I thought? I'm sure her accessories were still in the forest.

Suddenly I saw an image in Alice's mind, a past vision of a deer carrying of her jacket into the wilderness and trampling over her glasses. Funny I thought bemused.

Jasper and Emmett drew their attention away from their ongoing three hour chess game to give us their full attention. Rosalie put her magazine down feeling a change of mood in the room. Carlisle and Esme joined Alice and Rose on the couch while Jasper and Emmett remained stationary on their seat by the table.

Bella squeezed my hand slightly before leaving my sight to stand over by the walls of glass and looked out to the forest, crossing her arms over her chest. I knew then I would be alone in attempting an explanation and answering my families questions.

Carlisle patiently folded his hands together and leaned forward in his seat awaiting the long expected reasoning for the madness over the past few days. The room then got quiet. Everyone stared at me looking for a response. I contemplated on how to begin or what to say. I was limited to reveal anything concerning Bella's true identity which in turn retrogressed all I indeed knew.

They were waiting and I seemed to be stalling. There was but one place I could start.

"Well, she's an ancient." Their expressions didn't change nor showed surprise. They were already well aware of that fact.

Carlisle though was the first to exchange a glance between Bella and I. "Where does she come from?" His intrigue with her was apparent. "Well, before coming here she was in England."

And before that she came from the fabled vampire metropolis Elysium that now lies in ruins, I added mentally. Carlisle smiled.

"Actually I mean where was she born, and her heritage." I was fretting these questions. Bella instructed me not to give mention to Atlantis. I suppose she wanted to keep it a relic of the past. But what was I to say now?

"Does it matter?" Bella intervened. The icy look she had previously used against Carlisle had faded but was replaced with one of tediousness. I fervently hoped she wouldn't be pessimistic.

Carlisle returned her monotonous stare but kept his smile in place. The static that bolted back and forth between their stares seemed like a battle. Carlisle correctly predicted that Bella has many secrets and though he respected her privacy he wanted her to give some of these secrets up. But only because she was staying in his house and he wanted to ensure the safety of his family.

"We're merely interested in what culture you came from, and what traditions were passed down to you from your human lineage." Esme smiled, agreeing with Carlisle's words. "I would like to learn more about you too. I'm sure you have a lot of experiences and witnessed your share of historic events."

My gaze shifted back and forth between Bella and Carlisle, and Esme and finally I ended up back on Bella. I was curious to see what she would tell them.

"My way of life, the way of life I lead before being forced into this dull existence no longer prevails. The written word did not capture my people on pages. They only linger in my memory where they will remain."

Carlisle nodded, understanding. He slightly pursed his lips rethinking his position and formulated other questions he was curios to have answered. "How old are you if I may ask?"

Bella mimicked my half smile and grinned at Carlisle playfully, "Older than you." Carlisle coughed a laugh and swapped a brief look with Esme.

"Older than the Volturi…" We all gazed back at Bella as she continued. She turned away from the window pane and started to walk towards us. "Older than the great pyramids…"

I watched them closely from the corner of my eye. They hurried looks across the room at each other. Alice seemed to be the only one composed and cool. For once her mind was nowhere close to the future but latched to the present.

Carlisle slightly rose in his seat becoming more lively and interested. It seemed though the dam was breaking, and the water began flowing through.

"The time of my beginnings bore in the wastelands of shadow when Gaia was on the brink of annihilation. This time has since passed away from human memory and has been burned from the history pages. For longer than any of you have lived or will live have I journeyed the destitute routes of this plane.

The atrocities I have witnessed by the claws of others, and by my own have since shaped and formed me into who and what I am.

Many things shroud my existence and layer them in uncertainty and doubt. For there are many horrors and joys hidden in my past that none should be aware of. I understand your desire and curiosity towards me but rest assure that it would be wise not to humble me with anymore inquires. The less you know, the longer you may continue your life's on the immortal road."

Carlisle's curiosity accelerated even further with this new illumination. "So, you are saying that uncovering your secrets would strife others or even yourself to eliminate us?"

Bella nodded only once keeping her eyes hard. "Your secrets wouldn't have anything to do with the page of the vampire encyclopedia you destroyed would they?" I became a nervous. Carlisle was diving into something he shouldn't. His intellect and ability to see through charades was leading him down a dangerous path.

Bella did have something to do with it. Her name was on that list, her true name. The oldest names ever recorded by our kind were on that page and Bella destroyed it. It was certain to me that the other seven individuals listed were linked to her, and that just like she they too were still alive.

Bella smiled at Carlisle. "Prove it." The heat intensity being exchanged back and forth between the two was immeasurable. It seemed like they were equal. And even though I trusted, respected, and loved Carlisle I had to admit that in the end Bella would be victorious.

Carlislegot up from his seated position. He folded his hands together out in front of him and smiled kindly.

"I thank you for what you have done for us. If it weren't for you I'm sure that Emmett, Alice, Edward, Rosalie, and most certainly Jasper would be dead by now. It is only for this reason I tolerate your presence.

I have absolutely nothing against whom or what you are but please fathom that up until a few weeks ago I utterly believed that your kind no longer existed. I have heard enough tales of the ancients and the wars they raged to know that I fear what you are capable of.

It is not in my nature to be this way but you present me with a situation I don't know how to handle. Aro and his brothers searched the world for vampires like you to seek the knowledge and history of our kind that you possess and returned empty handed.

To all other vampires on this earth you no longer exist, and therein lies my worry. What will you do to ensure that we never reveal this meeting?"

So this is what Carlisle was hiding? I had been wrong and he had been hiding it well. Emmett then spoke up. "What are you thinking Carlisle? Do you think she will kill us?" Rosalie shook her head.

"No, why would she do that? If she wanted us gone then she would have allowed that beast to kill us but instead she saved me, and you."

"She's right," Jasper smiled agreeing. "She won't harm us." Alice peeked at him surprised. "How do you know?" Jasper grinned chuckling and shaking his head. "I don't know."

The attention in the room shifted to him, mine as well. "Well how can you make an assessment like that without knowing for sure?" Esme asked. "It's not knowing as much as feeling it. I can feel that she has no hostility towards us. Even if we'd decide to spread the word of surviving ancients to others she'd still not harm us."

Emmett reached over and playfully nudged Jasper's arm, "Now how would you know that? Another feeling?" Jasper smiled though he seemed confused. "No. This is not a feeling. It's knowledge."

"But we still don't understand how you would know that dear," Esme debated. Jasper shrugged his shoulders, "Your guess is as good as mine. I don't know either." This was puzzling indeed.

I turned around and looked at Bella who was wearing a low smile on her lips staring at Jasper. She knew why and I think I started to understand why too.

"Either way," Carlisle continued, "I still want to be absolutely sure that before you continue your stay with us that you will not endanger my family. If you can't guarantee their safety then I would bid you to leave this instant however, if you can assure peace and non aggression than you are more than welcome to stay."

And there it was; Carlisle's compromise. Bella had done nothing but meditate in this house using the candles that Esme and Alice bought for her. Bella seemed grim. Her transfixed look on Carlisle became dark. I don't know why. Maybe she didn't like the way he talked to her or maybe it was because she couldn't agree to his terms. If I were in his place I might have done the same thing though.

Bella glided slowly and elegantly across the Persian rug keeping her hands folded over her chest. "I can assure you that no ill temperament will befall you. If someone is approaching, I will know." Carlisle narrowed his eyes. "How?"

Bella sighed and turned around. She must honestly dislike curiosity. "If I tell you something of worth will you then leave me be?" Ah… Now she wants to compromise I thought amused. Carlisle's mind was a tangled web of worry and curiousness. What could possibly be more interesting than a living breathing ancient he thought.

"Such as?" he asked. Then, Bella dropped the bomb. "The beginning of our kind."

The notion in the room was the same for all of us as we gasped. "How would you know that?" Alice asked surprised. It was comical seeing her surprised. Bella's decision to confide must have happened mere seconds ago, not enough time for Alice to see.

Bella smiled smugly but paid no mind to anybody but Carlisle. He stared at her shocked. His thoughts were racing through his weary mind. He tried to think of how Bella could know such things and of how it was possible. But most importantly he was interested in knowing indeed how our kind came to be.

Bella lifted her hands out on either side of her like a weighing scale. "What is it Carlisle? Would you prefer the tale of an ancient or rather the fact of how we came to be?" She tilted her hands up and down teasing him.

"Do I still have you promise of no harm coming to us? That is my first priority." Bella sighed huffed bored, "Yes Carlisle. You have my word, and my word is my bond."

Carlisle looked at us now, and at the reactions on our faces. He wanted to make it a family decision. "What do you think," he asked. "Origin?" Everyone nodded vigorously.

This was a question weighing on every vampires mind. Where do we come from? What is our purpose? Why do we exist? How did we come into existence? Did Bella have the answers? As soon as we nodded and agreed to hear about the beginning Bella immediately began speaking.

I did learn one more thing about Bella today; she had a secret. It must be a secret so deep that she would dangle the origin of our species right in front of us just to make us loose the trail.

"Many would consider what I am about to tell you a mere legend. Why? No vampire has sufficient evidence to prove the worth and reality of this claim. However, there are some of us that were the offspring of those whom in turn were the offspring of those that still recalled this strand of memory.

The history of how we began has been passed down in the pool of vampire genetic memory for nearly one million years."

"Impossible…" Carlisle whispered almost hypnotized. Bella chuckled and went on.

"Oh yes, very possible. Long before the arrival of man, beast, and tree Gaia was engulfed in an apocalyptic battle of massive proportions. This still predates the time of giant lizards," she smiled.

"All those years ago Gaia was a battlefield for what we call, the Four original Super Powers that sprung from the hellfire's of creation. We have no exact knowledge of how they came into existence. All we do know is that when they opened their eyes to the world for the first time all they saw was flame. Therefore the sentiment _sprung from the hellfire's of creation_.

We have no exact knowledge of how or why they drove each other to war. Perhaps it was for domination of this world or perhaps the futile pursuit of proving themselves better over their rivals.

What we do know is that they respected one thing, and that was life. While they warred Gaia developed into a beautiful green paradise. The trees and animals started to appear, and brought forth new life. However, their warring lead to countless casualties that destroyed life and nearly drained Gaia of it making her obsolete.

Humans still wonder how the dinosaurs went extinct…" Bella laughed.

"Their battle tore and terraformed this world. Oceans were thrown out of balance, mountains were torn asunder, and the world turned into a dark place of shadowy chasms.

Yet, because they respected life and when the realization came to light they saw that their senseless battle was abruptly destroying an entire world. So, nearly one million years ago they left our plane of existence to move on to new horizons.

But before they left they seeded a new species that had erupted or had been created with their essence. This is how we came into existence.

They used their power to change four humans DNA to their liking and created them in the image of their preference.

Valar…" I was about to translate one of the few vamerrian words I knew when Jasper suddenly interrupted. "Vampire."

"Beolgo..." Bella said. Jasper did it again. "Werewolf". How would he know that term? The term Valar had come up many times during the conversation Bella and the Moriatus had but… come to think of it, Jasper wasn't even present for that.

"Moriatus…" Jasper translated again. "Gargoyle," he whispered. There was a glee of fear in his eyes as he said that word.

"And of course the Shurrings," Bella finished. That was a new world I never heard before. "Shifters," Jasper replied. Shifters?

"Wait a minute," Rosalie interrupted. "If these four formed these humans into their liking and possibly even their image?" Bella nodded approvingly. "Well then why do vampires look like humans? Even werewolves retake human form when the sun rises."

Carlisle answered Rosalie's plea. "The change she refers to dove into a considerably deeper level Rosalie. I believe this also occurred on the genetic level. Like Bella mentioned they changed their DNA."

"Oh…" Rosalie realized. "But why?" Esme asked. Bella blinked confused. "Why did they do what they did? Why did they create these four?"

"To leave behind their legacy," Bella answered. "When they changed their four specimens they also ensured that they would remember who their creators were and infested their minds with that knowledge.

From these four humans who became the first four, all of us came. Vampires infect humans with their venoms, and werewolves do the same. Shifters are born that way, and Moriatus…well… that is perhaps a discussion for another time."

"Shifters?" I asked. "What are shifters?" "It is merely a short term for the actual word shape shifters. They were able to take on any form of their liking. Unfortunately many thousands of years have passed and their lines have deteriorated. A shape shifter could live their entire life without knowing what they are. They require a trigger to reactivate the dormant gene in their bodies that allows their transformation and genetic memory.

That trigger being any one of the four species."

"Now I know you said you want to talk about it some other time but I'd like to hear this now," Emmett grinned mischievously. "How do the gargoyle's recruit?" It was an interesting question. I couldn't imagine it being similar to how a human is turned into a vampire.

"A Moriatus," Bella began seemingly defeated and appalled, "will bite a human much like vampires and werewolves and will inject them with massive amounts of their DNA. Within hours the selected humans DNA will change to match that of a Moriatus. After that, the fusion of the two DNA strands will form an embryo which will absorb nearly every white blood cell in a human's body along with other things like fats, water, and ATB.

They use humans like incubators for their young. After two or sometimes three days a Moriatus the size of a two year old child will burst from within a human's stomach and be born. Moriatus generally take their infected victims to isolated areas, preferably caves and other dark places for this process."

While I and everyone else seemed disgusted by this process Carlisle was absolutely fascinated.

"Why would the embryo take the white blood cells?" he asked. "White blood cells almost entirely compose a human's immune system and the Moriatus embryo needs them in order to create its own. Even if the process of creating a Moriatus young should fail the human would die anyway hence they will lack an immune system. Not to mention the fact that the embryo nearly absorbs all the fluids in their blood.

Carlisle smiled brightly, "I knew it must have been something like that. Why else rob them of all the white blood cells. That's amazing. What's the greater science behind it?" Bella's lips twitched and arched completely disturbed.

"Some other time…" Carlisle nodded agreeing seeing the displeasure on her face. "So go on please," Carlisle implored.

"About?" Bella asked. "About how we came to be," Alice said. Bella shrugged her shoulders. "That was all, I already told you. The knowledge was passed down along the hereditary line of vampires through venenum memoria until about ten thousand years ago when few and fewer vampires even still knew."

"So… vampires don't actually belong here?" Esme asked saddened. She was always one to believe that there was a higher purpose for our kind along with Carlisle.

"We do not know if these four monarchs were created or moved along an evolutionary path. However, we do know that they are originally from Earth and we are there descendants. We, along with every other living thing belong to this world."

Esme seemed a bit relieved but the sorrow was still in her golden eyes. Carlisle sat back down next to her and wrapped his arm around her. "The reason we are here and met was so that our love could be born, and so we could show the world the fruits of such a union." Esme smiled at Carlisle and kissed him on the lips.

"So where did they go?" Jasper asked. "The Four original Super Powers I mean?"

"I do not know," Bella answered honestly. "We know they shed themselves of their physical forms whilst they still warred and lived as pure energy. Once they ended their chaotic struggle they left this realm behind and have not been seen or heard from since."

And that was it then. I suppose there were some things that even Celest err.. Bella didn't even know.

I breathed in a fresh breeze that blew through the window bringing with it the tantalizing scent of the forest I had never noticed before. The four days after our small discussion were very peaceful. I had skipped school for the past few days simply not caring about the dramatic nonsense that waited there anymore.

I didn't want to go back to listening to unacquainted love or filthy desires of others anymore. For the first time ever in my life I experienced what true love was like and I didn't want it to be tainted by that garbage.

I had only seen Bella once during the last four days. I knocked on her door to invite her for a hunt. When she opened the door and I asked she replied that she was submerging herself into a deep state of mediation and that she wished to dwell on it for awhile. The feelings she had for me she apparently had not experienced for a very long time, actually since the death of Helios. She wanted to meditate on it so I let her.

She did promise me that once she was finished she would allow me to take her out and show her what sort of gentleman I could actually be. She also promised she would tell me more about herself, Elysium, and Atlantis. I couldn't wait.

It was suppose to be today but Alice felt the need to interfere.

"She needs some clothes and what we have just doesn't suit her. I'll take her to Seattle so we can do some proper shopping." Alice proclaimed.

"I have no need for new attire so…," " I don't care," Alice interrupted. "C'mon Bella lets do it. I'd be like a girl thing. Esme and Rosalie are coming too." Alice beseeched her and beseeched her until Bella finally gave in.

She was however able to negotiate with Alice and would be allowed to stand in the corners and out of sight and would allow Alice to do the shopping. Bella did warn her that she would still be choosing what to wear.

So… off they went to Seattle. Carlisle and Emmett went for out for a hunt about an hour ago while Jasper and I decided to stay at the house.

The four girls had been gone for most of the day already. I wonder what torments Alice was making Bella endure. I simply could not see Bella walking into a clothing store and trying on every single dress available. In addition, I also couldn't see Alice or even Rosalie convincing her to model for them. I can't wait for them to get back so Bella and I could spend some more time together.

Beep.

I jumped up from the couch and snatched my cell phone of my writing desk. I clapped it open hoping to see a call or text message from Alice telling me how their or rather Bella's day was going. I would also not be surprised to see an S.O.S from Bella telling me to rescue her from Alice's grasp.

I looked at the screen of my cell phone but didn't see anything. I skimmed through my inbox of old text messages but couldn't find any recent ones. I even went over to my missed calls to see if for some reason I had missed a call but no, I didn't.

Was it beeping because the battery was running low? It was fully charged I saw.

Beep.

Its not my cell phone that's making that noise. It was a soft and light noise but it was not my phone.

"Jasper, is your phone ringing?" Jasper was in Carlisle's study fiddling through the vampire index hoping to find an answer to his sudden knowledge. I had a theory about that. What if Bella's memories were passed on to him?

Though my tone was low I knew he heard. "No," he replied back. What? Well then what is it? I suppose it could be many things.

Beep.

There it was again. It didn't come from the inside of my room though. I went out in the hall only to meet Jasper coming out of Carlisle's study. "What is that?" He asked.

"I don't know. Everyone took their phones with them. And I don't think we have anything else that makes that sort of noise."

"Are you sure?" Jasper asked doubtful. "Yes. I'm almost positive that the noise came from the second story. The computers don't sound like that and even if mine and Carlisle's is turned off. The others are all downstairs. The television is turned off too."

Beep.

"There it goes again," I said. This time though I could pin point the source of the sound. I followed the sound down the corridor leading towards Bella's room. Jasper followed close behind.

I opened the door to her room without hesitation. Jasper laughed when he saw the entire room embedded with candles. They were everywhere, on top of the bed, table, chair, all over the floor, cabinet, even the window seal.

"She meditates," I chuckled to Jasper. "I can see that," he said laughing.

I gazed across the room looking for something that could explain the beeping. The television was turned off, and I didn't see a cell phone or any other electronic device for that matter.

Beep.

This time I heard where it was coming from. I went over to the bed and lifted up Bella's black coat that had been hanging over the bed post. The origin of the sound came from it. My fingers were cowards and didn't want to explore Bella's privacy.

"Are you sure she won't gut you for going through her coat?" Before… maybe but it was different between us now. What if the sound came from a cell phone she had and it was important?

I reached into a pocket inside of the coat and felt something small, and metallic. I pulled out whatever it was and revealed it to Jasper and me.

"Okay…" Jasper whispered. "I don't think that's it Edward."

We were looking at a small round hand mirror. It couldn't have been bigger than the size of a baseball. It was round, flat and thin. The silver thin lining around it was very shiny. There were also four small blue pebbles on the mirror. The pebbles were positioned on it like a compass showing north, south, east, and west; one on top, opposite from that one on the bottom, and left and right. They were perfect spheres.

I saw my reflection and the confused glimmer in my eyes while I examined it. I turned it over and found no other clues there. The back of it was plain silver.

"Check the other side of the coat maybe there is something else in there." I was about to pick up the coat off the bed when…

Beep.

Jasper and I were both startled when the northern small crystal ball on the mirror suddenly lit up with a blue light for but a second.

"Okay… so it is the mirror." I said. "Are you sure it's a mirror?" Jasper asked. "Why? I asked baffled. "Many things aren't always as they appear, much like your Bella Edward."

"So what should I do?" I didn't like toying with Bella's belongings without her consent.

"Touch the screen." I debated with it for a second. But curiosity would surely overtake me. I gave into Jaspers suggestion and tapped my finger on the mirror.

Suddenly the screen lit up with a blue light. Jasper and I both took a deep breath of awe and astonishment when his suspicion turned out accurate. The four crystal balls lit up too. The light was blinding at first but eventually I could make out some movement.

"Its like a small super computer" Jasper stated the obvious. The bright light subsided and showed what appeared to be a computer screen. Jasper and I watched as what looked like data flowed down the length of the mirror. It was making small beeping noises. I tried to read some of the symbols but they were unlike anything I had ever seen before.

It stopped and a new window appeared in the length of the mirror's reflection. Suddenly there were five small symbols on the right and left. The screen itself was blue but the symbols were yellow.

"Have you ever seen anything like them Edward?" Jasper asked confounded. I shook my head. "No, not like anything I've ever seen. There seems to be no comparison to the Runes, Hieroglyphics or anything else I've ever seen. Esme would know more."

"Well?" I looked at Jasper bewildered. "Well what?" Jasper pursed his lips.

"Well when you touched the screen you seemed to have activated it. That implies that it might be touch screen controlled. Try one of the small symbols."

"Jasper," I scolded, "we have no idea what this is. We have no business exploring Bella's belongings without her consent."

Jasper raised his jaw keeping it in a straight line. I was still getting used to him having no more scars. "I want to know more about her. Besides we have no idea what these symbols mean so we won't be able to read any of it anyway."

But if we won't be able to read it why bother continuing? My curiosity was poking at me to take up Jasper's advice.

I looked at the ten symbols deliberating which one to pick. I chose the one that looked the astrological symbol for Mercury with a dot in the middle. When I clicked on the symbol the screen changed.

At once the light blue screen returned with deep white lines forming what looked like houses and trees. The lines were still being drawn when I noticed two small red dots blinking.

"What do you suppose that means?" Jasper asked, studying the small gadget. The lines stopped fanning out and it appeared to be blueprints of sorts.

"Jasper…" I muttered when I realized what it was. "That's our house. The two red dots represent us." Jasper gasped and looked at me amazed.

"Like a life signs detector? How? This small thing?" I ignored his puzzled rambling and decided to tap the screen again. Now it seemed to widen out. The house became smaller as newer lines were drawn around it swiftly.

"Wait a minute," I said. "Look here Jazz." Jasper leaned closer to me and looked over my shoulder at the mirror. "I tapped it again and the range seemed to expand. See all of these other houses? It's a miniature map of Forks. Every single building, street, and even the trees seem to be shown."

"Amazing…" Jasper coughed. But the fact that this petit and thin piece of advanced technology could do this was not the most notable part.

"Don't you notice anything?" Jasper returned his golden orbs to me, they seemed overwhelmingly stunned.

"If like you say this thing can detect life sign then why don't I see any but the two of us? WAIT! I have an idea. Lets put the life signs theory to a test. Move back some," I ordered him. I crossed the room until the back of my knees touched the edge of the bed. I watched the monitor closely as Jasper proceeded into the hall in a human pace.

I tapped my finger on the small red dots and suddenly it zoomed in again showing only the house and the blinking flashes of red. Jasper was right. When he moved one of the dots moved. Jeez. It even showed the corridors and rooms in the house…

"You were right." Jasper crossed the hall quickly until he was looking over my shoulder again.

"But why isn't it showing human life signs? How can it even detect vampire life sign? Maybe some sort of sophisticated sensors? I mean we don't have any body heat so it's sensory perception can't be based on thermal detectors."

"Zoom out again," Jasper suggested. I did as he asked and tapped on the house and suddenly it widened again. Now I noticed six new small symbols on the bottom of the screen.

I lifted my fingers above them going back and forth trying to decide which one to hit. I chose the one that looked like a V and an up side down V joined with two small dots in the center.

The two tiny red dots disappeared. I gave it a few seconds awaiting the return of some sort of signal but nothing appeared.

"Great. You broke it didn't you?" I snorted. "Me? You told me to do it?"

"Since when do you listen to me or anybody else for that matter?" Jasper challenged. I growled under my breath. Jasper raised his eyebrows smiling challengingly.

I went back to the mirror, and still nothing. All it showed were the blueprints of the house and that was it. Maybe I should try widening it out again? I tapped the house and the range increased again. This time however, something did show up. As a matter of fact, numerous signals appeared.

"Look at that!" Jasper expressed mesmerized. The mirror showed the entirety of Forks along with sums and sums of life signs. "How many do you suppose there are?" I asked Jasper.

"At least three to four thousand," he guessed. I gasped.

'OF COURSE! Human life signs." Jasper nodded, his eyes sparkling.

"HOLY SH**!" Jasper bellowed when out of nowhere the light of the mirror shone very, very brightly right into our faces.

We stumbled back dropping the mirror in the process. It landed flat on its back. The blue light radiated strongly up against the ceiling.

"WHAT DID YOU DO?" Jasper yelled. "I DON'T KNOW!" I yelled back.

Suddenly the light began to deteriorate. Jasper and I watched it moving and decreasing in range. It descended until it was close to matching our size. Then, the planet Earth appeared.

The light from the mirror created a real time representation of the entire planet. It showed all the landmasses, oceans, North Pole, and everything else. "A holographic projection?"

"How?" Jasper asked. "It's impossible. There is no way. It's far too small to hold that sort of memory. How can it project anything without a proper power source?"

"Well what else could it be?" I stepped up encouraged and waved my hand through the representation of our Planet and saw it go right through it.

"Did you feel anything?" Jasper asked. I laughed. "Shouldn't you have detected that?" Jasper ignored me and joined my side looking at the projection mystified. "How were we able to summon this up?"

I shrugged my shoulders confused. "I don't know. I didn't push anything."

"Maybe not," Jasper stated. "But maybe it was something we said." I blinked dumbfounded. "How? If we're right then this is vamerrian and we don't know the language."

Jaspers eyes rolled in their sockets, plotting and configuring something. He smiled crookedly. "What if we actually spoke vamerrian but we didn't know it?"

"How?" I asked. "What if some words in the English language also exist in the language of the dead or even better, what if while we talked some words rhymed together in order to form something in the vampire tongue?"

Jasper made sense. It was possible that there was some derivative or even fusion of words in what we said. But this was all still a guess. But something this small and so advanced? Why wouldn't it have some form of voice activation?

"Let's retrace our words." I told him. "Alright, I think the last thing I said before the projection appeared was _at least three to four thousand_." Quickly we both started at the hologram but nothing happened. We gave it another few seconds but the image remained the same. It was so clear and perfect.

"My turn," I stated. "Of course, human life signs." Jasper and I both watched expectantly but again, nothing happened.

"Try again but this time say it faster because you didn't say it that slow," he suggested. I nodded agreeing.

"OF COURSE. Human life signs." The globe flickered for a second but stopped and returned to its former state. Jasper and I smiled at each other.

"Excellent. So now we know that it isn't actually a single word but rather the fusion of two or even tree. When you said 'of course' nothing happened. But when you said your last three words speedy it flickered."

Jasper and I spend the next five minutes going through random polymerizations of words but were unsuccessful. The combinations of words like Humanli, lif, shuma, manlif, and others proved in vain. We were starting to get frustrated until…

"Fesig?" The hologram fluttered once. I smiled proudly. "How did you do that?" Jasper asked. "What are you talking about? We've been trying different combinations for the better part of ten minutes. Finally 'fesig' seemed to work." Jasper started at me baffled.

"How can an English word work?" What? "What do you mean?"

"Well you said 'enlarge'." I shook my head slowly a bit spooked. "No I didn't. I said fesig." Jasper nodded. "Yeah, enlarge."

A hiss was building up in the back of my throat. If this was a joke it already failed. "I didn't say enlarge. I said fesig. I combined the last two letters of 'life', and the first three of the 'signs" to get that word.

Jasper stared at me stupefied. "Are you sure?" I sighed irate. "Yes Jazz." He looked away somewhat shocked. "I could have sworn you said…" Suddenly the puzzle pieces in my head came together.

"This is too accurate. You thought I said enlarge even though I didn't. However, enlarging is just what the mirror did." Jasper looked at me confused and troubled.

"I think when Bella allowed you to drink from her venom you got a whole lot more than just strength, speed, and even more advanced abilities."

"You think she gave me the gift to understand Vamerra?" Jasper wondered. "What else could it be? How else would you be able to understand a language only those know that should have faded from living memory long ago?"

Jaspers expression traveled from amazed to startled or almost faint like. Maybe Bella could spend some time with him and shed some light into his new 'powers'.

I changed the subject. "So what do we do with this thing now?" Jasper cleared his throat; I could feel waves of relief flowing from with him. "Don't know. Where those white dots there before?"

What? I looked at the hologram and noticed seven white dots blinking from all over the globe. They weren't there when the projection first came online.

"They weren't there before. What do you suppose they represent?"

"Hmm…" Jasper mumbled. "Well, one of them is in Washington State. Can you zoom in?"

"I'll try." I leaned forward and pushed my finger through the hologram of the small white circle and its image changed. Suddenly the globe disappeared and showed Forks from above. Blue lines represented the buildings and streets.

"The white dot seems to be at our house." I tapped the white dot again and it zoomed in even further. It showed our house in complete perfection. The corridors, and all the rooms were shown like a blueprint. "Its coming from this room."

"It doesn't appear to be presenting us. Before, our life signs were red and there were two and not just one." Jasper commented. Then what could it be representing other than maybe…

"What about itself?" Jasper nodded. "Yeah, that could make sense."

"Well then we could rule out military." Jasper looked at me stunned. "What do you mean?"

"Well at first I thought that Bella could have pilfered this from the military, so human ingenuity. But that doesn't make any sense. If this thing can detect and present a real time image of the entire planet, and has the sufficient data to present the blueprints of every city, country, and or mountain ranges then why are there only seven?

You'd think if the military invented such a small and handy device there would be many more. Not to mention the fact that it can sense vampire life signs and is programmed to use the vampire language Vamerra."

Jasper nodded to himself. "There is something else I've noticed too before we zoomed in." I waved my hand through the circle in a forward notion before retreating it to my chest. Like I had predicted it zoomed out and showed the city again. I mimicked my own gesture until the entire planet was shown again.

"Do you notice something rather… strange?" Jasper examined the globe, looking at the seven white dots.

"Well, there seems to be another one of these things in upstate New York. There is another one in South America possibly near Rio and another one in Russia near Siberia. Also, there is one in Asia probably Japan, and another in Australia. And also…" Jasper laughed disbelieving. "And also another one in Antarctica."

"Have you noticed?" I asked him again. Jasper narrowed his eyes viewing the signals once more. His lips parted and his eyes grew and I knew he noticed what I did.

"There is one of these on almost every single continent." I patted his back nodding my head. "But why isn't there one in Europe or Africa. Also, Russia isn't a continent by itself.

"I have a theory about that." Jasper looked at me curiously. "Well you see before Bella pursued the Moriatus all the way across the western hemisphere she told me that she was originally in England. So if she hadn't come here…"

"Then there would be one of these things on every single continent with the exception of Africa." Jasper stroked his jaw deep in thought. "But why is there one in Russia?"

"Russia is exceptionally large but it still doesn't explain why one is there. In addition, why isn't there one in Africa?"

"Edward I have an idea," Jasper whispered. "We both determined that this gadget can also be controlled via sound right?" I nodded. "Yes. But don't forget that you have to speak vamerrian in order to so. That we were able to figure out the last one was just plain dumb luck."

Jasper smiled viciously. He was compiling some thoughts into a plan, surely.

"But we do know certain words like… VALAR!"

The seven white dots disappeared and suddenly the globe became infested with tens and tens of red ones.

"Oh… my…" I had no words to give… "This is incredible," Jasper said trance like.

"So do you think that every single red dot represent every single vampire on Earth?" This was beyond belief. They were everywhere. I counted at least nine vampires in the United States. There were a lot of dots all over Europe.

"Edward look," Jasper laughed. I followed his vision to the icy continent of Antarctica and saw seventeen dots there. "What in the world would vampires be doing there? The famous penguin and polar bear diet?"

"I knew it," Jasper proclaimed. "What?"

"Look! There are little over two hundred signs all over the globe coming from all sorts of different regions. Yet, for reasons unknown there seem to be no vampires in Africa." Jasper folded his hands over his chest staring down the display.

I examined it and saw what he meant. The blinking red lights really did come from every corner of the earth but there wasn't a single signal coming from the African continent. "You know what I've been wondering about? Where does this thing get its information from?"

Jasper nodded agreeing. "Me too. There is no way it can detect or sense all of this information on its own. It must be getting this information from some terminal somewhere. At first I thought perhaps a satellite of sorts but I doubt that. Humans would have discovered it by now if that were the case. There must be a power relay station somewhere where it receives its data from."

"I agree." My eyes fixed on Africa wondering why there wasn't anything there. Maybe it was there where the source was.

"What could be in Africa that could be so worth protecting?" Jasper asked. "Edward?"

I couldn't be…

Jasper noticed my sudden silence and wide stare. "Edward?"

"I think I know why there aren't any signals coming from Africa."

"Why?"

… _Elysium_…

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**(Authors Note) – I hope you enjoyed. Merry Christmas and a happy new year to all of you. Reviews and comments would be the nicest Christmas presents :)! **


	35. Chapter 34

Tiamat

"Elysium?" Jasper asked confused.

"Yes," I whispered expressionless. "According to Bella it was once a great metropolis that was decimated thousands of years ago. However, the ruins still exist." Jasper seemed troubled.

"Impossible. Such a noteworthy achievement must have been preserved in some form or way by our kind." Jasper's golden eyes traveled over the holographic image the mirror projected. I viewed it too, marveling at the fact that there were apparently no vampires in Africa.

"Bella said that any record that could prove the existence of the city was exterminated from living history. However, the legend continued to survive for the purpose of prompting vampires to seek it out; those that sought enlightenment anyway." Jasper watched me intently, and listened carefully. It almost appeared as though he already knew.

"Bella proclaims that since its destruction it has become a religious center and holy site for all those that wish to engulf themselves in deep concentrated mediation for thousands of years in order to shed themselves of their physical being and rise to a higher plane of existence."

I examined Jasper face and noticed the hardness that appeared in his features. He began bobbing his head possibly agreeing silently.

"That would be something worthy of protection. If humanity ever discovered the ruins they would undoubtedly exploit them."

"I agree," I said quietly. It was still strange however. I still couldn't fathom the fact to how Bella obtained such an advanced piece of technology. Maybe they built it? Vampires?

"What do we do now?" Jasper asked fazed. I sighed heavily through my lips a bit tired with all of these new theories crashing down upon me. What was there to do now?

"Hello boys…"

A cold chill even chillier than my own body temperature ran down the length of my spine. My entire being froze with anticipation. Jasper who stood right next to me didn't aid my nervousness. His emotions impacted hard and fast on my own. They seemed pressurizing and piercing.

I risked a quick look at the clock on the white wall and was shocked to see that not fifteen to twenty minutes but rather an hour and a half had gone by. Pathetically I smiled thinking '_time flies while one is having fun.'_

I heard the soft and low "tock" like sound Bella's low heels made as she approached me and my brother. Not even Jasper had yet dared to turn around. We both had seen Bella's temperament in action and feared it accordingly. Besides, in the grand scheme of things it was wrong of us to riffle through her private belongings.

I heard Alice and Rosalie just dancing through the front entrance of the mansion when I heard the lock and seal of the door to this room shut!

My breathing became irregular. Although I wasn't scared of Bella anymore I was still distained by the fact that this invasion of privacy wouldn't be very generous to our relationship.

Her approach was slow and patient. Jasper and I continued to stare at the hologram and at all the little red lights. Suddenly she stood in-between us. I didn't summon the courage to look at her. I had tried and done so much to earn even an ounce of trust from her, and now I had obliterated it for sure.

"Look at them," she said quietly. My eyes catapulted immediately towards her face, as did Jaspers. Surprisingly I didn't see any anger or loathing on her lovely face.

"They are blind to the fact that we stand here now and can see their every move." Bella said. This was utterly wrong. This scenario I had not envisioned at all. She seemed so calm and collected and not furious at all.

Bella narrowed her eyes and the hologram changed abruptly. It retook the form of the entire globe before zooming in on Washington State. It deepened its search and displayed a perfect image of Seattle.

_Beep. _

The beeping, I had completely forgotten about why we had come in here in the first place. Instead of only hearing it I saw it this time. A small red flash appeared somewhere from down town Seattle that blinked intermittently, and changed colors from orange to red repeatedly.

Bella narrowed her eyes again and the hologram zoomed in onto the flash. At first glance the blue prints would suggest some sort of warehouse. There were two red signals there already, vampires, and the one that flashed between red and orange.

"Watch...," she instructed. The blinking became ravenous. It signaled from orange to red, red to orange, and back and forth in a seemingly endless loop. All of a sudden it became worse and grew quicker and more common. It seemed to be reaching its climax.

Just about when I thought the uncontrollable flashing couldn't become any swifter it slowed down. It's descend was even faster than it's rising. It flashed several times before it came to an absolute halt.

The small dot blinked orange one last time before it morphed to a deep red.

"You have just witnessed a human turning into one of us."

Jasper and I gasped. I think that, subconsciously, I knew. Of course I couldn't have even guessed what the rapid beeping meant if I had not seen the image being projected from the mirror.

Bella turned to Jasper who was petrified. "We will have a discussion later, a much needed discussion concerning your reservations and new found abilities."

Jasper nodded innocently, "Okay," he replied. Bella smiled and gestured her hand towards the exit. Without a moment of hesitation Jasper strutted towards the door and quickly left leaving behind emotions of nervousness, and surprise.

_Great, _I thought. Leave me here to fend for myself.

Bella lifted her hand upright and pointed the surface of her palm towards the holographic image and mirror. The illustration flashed and disappeared. The blue reflection radiating of the mirror vanquished as it magically rose from the ground and levitated perfectly into Bella's hand.

Bella moved along to the bed and snatched her coat and buried the mirror inside the coat pocket. I stood behind her, watching like a baboon and contemplating a sincere way of apologizing to her. Why oh why did I have to be so curious? As soon as I realized that the noise was coming from in here, from Bella's room, I should have made a u-turn.

"Have you ever heard of Tiamat?" I blinked astonished when she asked. Bella flung her coat back over the bed post and gracefully sat on the golden comforter leaning herself up against the wall. She intertwined her fingers and sat them on her lap while raising her eyebrows and smiling.

"Ti-Tiamat?" I asked. Bella nodded and replied with a quick "Yes."

"Well, ah, hmm," I tried to remember some old texts I read at Dartmouth years ago since the name did sound familiar. "I think she was mentioned in the Enuma Elish as some sort of chaos monster or sea dragon in Babylonian myth."

Bella chuckled and shook her head looking at the ceiling. "Humans…" she laughed.

"Why do you ask?" What sort of connection was she trying to make?

"Well, I positively believe that the resemblances in character are far too uncanny. There might be a hereditary passage of emotion that was passed down in her genetic pool of venom. I do believe that Carlisle and all of you with the exception of Alice and Jasper are distant descendants of Tiamat."

"We're descendants of a sea serpent?" I asked stupidly. Bella puffed shaking her head again.

"Sweet, do pay attention. Humanity finds their own interpretation for certain events throughout history however many are false and utterly ridiculous. Tiamat was once a great vampire thousands of years ago. As you know the knowledge of vampires can be passed forth through venenum memoria or even a simple change however that is a conscious effort most of the time.

Yet, not only knowledge is given but also emotions and memories can be passed on. Tiamat was one of the most passionate vampires that ever graced the earth with her magnificent presence. So, take it as a great compliment when I say that she might be a one of your vampiric ancestors." Bella gave me a strict school teacher sort of glare.

"Why are you mentioning this?" I asked confused. Bella smiled gently and patted the seat next to her on the bed. Excitement spurred to life inside of me and I immediately obliged. I leaned up against the wall sitting close next to her, our shoulders touching.

Her eyes traveled over my face and she chuckled lightly. She patted her lap. My breathing hitched. _Really, _I thought taken.

I tried to hide my enjoyment and wide grin when I turned on the bed and crossed my feet over the bed post and lay my head in her soft lap. I looked up and marveled at her illuminating and gorgeous eyes.

She bent down and blessed my forehead with a kiss of her tender lips. Her hair, like vines, tickled my face and I bathed in her glory.

"Curiosity is not a sin Edward but do recall what I have told you of it," her lips whispered against my head.

I laughed quietly, "It's a malignant thing, and could cause fatality." Bella's hand cupped my cheek and her fingers stroked my eye lids.

"In the old word, yes but remember that even though it is gone those that originate from there still remain and heave these ancient states of mind. They would not be as forgiving as I."

"I'm sorry for going through your things," I whispered. Bella kissed my head again. "No matter…"

Bella traced my face down the center with her finger until she drew along the lines of my lips. She leaned back up against the wall and gazed into my eyes. I felt immeasurably comfortable with my head in her lap. Who would have thought that we would ever reach this sort of stage?

"It all began in 20,000 B.C.E."

"What did?" I asked. She smiled playfully raising her eyebrow.

"All these countless millennia ago and long before the dawn of modern human civilization great vampires walked this earth. To these ancient titans nothing mattered but the taste of sweet, sweet blood. They were by any other definition the most powerful beings to have ever witnessed the sun rise.

Understand that these vampires were the first to have ever created a solid form of government. Laws of justice and places of tribunal events were created. They also formed a ruling class of government with many vampires representing various regions throughout the earth.

They might appear to be true and just but they were quite the opposite. Much like many vampires that came after them, they also sought the need to be worshipped by humanity. For them the need to be worshipped filled some form of empty void they all sensed within their own souls. However, by doing so they discarded any chance of redemption and valor. For the ascended that occupy a higher dimensional plane did not see this to be welcoming.

Forcing another creature to worship one like a supreme being is but one of many sins that they frown upon. Much must be done then in order to redeem yourself and show the glorious purity in your heart if you ever wish to journey on the path of enlightenment."

Understandable, I thought.

"There were but four that sat above all others. Four vampires that sprung from their respected regions as the most powerful and strategic, and it was them that became much like a high council of the Valar.

The south was watched over by Cronus who was most influential and vicious. It was he who united all of Greece under one banner and brought the so called other gods beneath his rule.

The east was guarded by Borr who was an extremely intellectual vampire that used his wit and cunning to gain much of the power vacuum left behind by the vampires before him. He was also an ancestor of Odin.

The west and its unexplored lands belonged to Tiamat. Tiamat unlike her other associates did not unite vampires with fear or intimidation but rather with promise of joy and merriment. She was but the only vampire of that age to have ever shown compassion to humanity whom where in turn treated like cattle by the rest of the vampire domain.

Finally, to the clear northern skies and ruling over the vastest of territories was Ra. In his time and many years after his death he was the most notorious and mightiest vampire of all time. It was he who instated the laws of justice that merely ever applied to vampires but not humans.

Ra's power originated from the ability to draw and demand the fear of all intelligent creatures. He was even more influential than Cronus and had the capability to turn all vampires to see things the way he did. He warred with various others for dominion and position like Osiris, Atlas, Hyperion, Tyr, and even Mazu.

He commanded incredible legions of experienced vampires and even newborns that he tamed for the sole purpose of his bidding. His superior intellect worked well with the combined strengths of the other three especially Cronus. Together they destroyed countless foes some of who were on the brink of ascension. Ra however felt that they were weak and undeserving and therefore did not grant them the eternal pleasure of bliss.

As intelligent, adamant, warmongering, and fearsome as he was he did have one flaw. The trust he granted to some of his _lieutenants _was gravely misplaced. If he had known what actions and intentions Tiamat possessed he would have never gifted her with ruling the western regions of the vampire province."

Ra was an ancestor of Sekhmet I remembered. In human myth concerning Egypt he was the one that sent her to earth to punish humanity for their insolence and drain the blood from all the deserts. If this is so then that would make Bella also a descendant of Ra. Maybe she even contained his genetic memory?

"Tiamat was bestowed with great theatric gifts. She fooled the entire court of Ra into believing that she was as they were. They believed her to be a terrible woman filled with chaos that loathed humanity and wanted nothing more than to drain them of ever single iota of blood. They never realized that her intentions were quite the opposite of what she made apparent.

Tiamat held a great favor towards humanity and all other growing things. She had strong reasons for her believes as well. She believed that the ways of vampires were corrupt and treacherous. It inflicted her great pain to witness human beings treated as rats and beings of no interest.

It drained her energy to watch them suffer at the hands of those that once belonged to their species. What however finally breached her walls and caused her to unleash open war was when human's especially young women and children were murdered for the mere pleasure of it.

However, Tiamat knew that if she were to declare war on Ra and his allies it would result in her immediate death. No vampire of that eon would stand by her side especially knowing that no one would challenge Ra's sovereign position.

Instead, she decided to bide her time. She already had the perfect subterfuge. Ra had promoted her to watch over his western territories and she knew that Ra only ever elected those he deemed worthy of trust. Her position was perfect in order to infiltrate."

"Why was she the way she was? According to you all vampires felt the way Ra and his followers did so why was she so different?" I asked interested. Bella sighed grinning.

"Tiamat had a special connection or bond with humanity. She was able to see their valiance and vulnerability. But that wasn't all. Tiamat's reservations or her change into a vampire was different than most.

When she was human she traveled along the sands of the Mediterranean one evening when she was visited by a special person. The blackness of their shape caused her great fear and she attempted to run from the fiend she was able to identify as a Valar. Of course he caught up with her immediately.

As he took her and was about to quench his thirst he looked into the eyes of his victim. In that moment, when all hope seemed faded for Tiamat and she was about to become a banquet something happened that never did before. The vampire that wished to take her fell in love with her."

I coughed surprised.

"As he watched her emerald eyes he could not bring himself to extinguish their shine and not even replace them with the glimmer of rubies. The same happened with Tiamat. She looked into the crimson eyes of her consort as he gripped her in his cold diamond stronghold and saw a beauty she had never witnessed.

With her weak human eyes she awed at the refinement of the vampire. His light brown hair, wavy and out of place, and his delicate and youthful features surprised and delighted her. This was beyond doubt the first time in our recorded history that a human was able to see the pulchritude within us whilst knowing what we truly are.

The one she fell in love with was named Abzu who ruled over the desserts in Egypt under the jurisdiction of Mazu before her demise.

Abzu realized that he loved Tiamat but was troubled knowing that he could not keep her. He knew that if the others found out about his affairs with a lowly human they would kill Tiamat to strengthen Abzu again, and sever his strands to humanity.

Tiamat though realized too that she was in love with Abzu and wanted to keep him. Yet, she was educated enough to understand that she would throw herself into great danger by joining his side. The serpents of old would not be able to contain their lust for her elixir and would surely kill her and perhaps Abzu too for conspiring with a human.

There was but one option and Tiamat realized such. She asked Abzu to change her and turn her into a vampire. Abzu in turn was disgusted and offended by the mere idea of turning his bright emerald star cold and stale. He did not wish the fate of eternity upon Tiamat. She implored him to see reason and spoke of wishing to spend immortality with him but Abzu could not compel.

As it turned out he did not have too. Though Abzu realized that Tiamat would not last forever and would eventually succumb to the slow decay of time or would fall to the strain of disease he had to act. When Abzu had made it final to Tiamat that he did not wish to turn her and was in favor of her staying human Tiamat was saddened.

But the relationship that two lovers share especially when the feelings are deep and enormous can conquer any obstacle. Abzu promised Tiamat that he would stay with her until the end of her days even when old age made her appear like his mother or even grandmother.

As I said, Abzu did not have to fret turning Tiamat, someone else had done it for him. One night, a long, long time ago Abzu and Tiamat's love reached a critical height and they shared the pleasure of each other's company through intimate means. As difficult as it sounds, Abzu actually refrained from hurting his beloved and was capable of showing her tenderness and warmth.

Their union however was a mistake for it materialized Abzu's worst fear of Tiamat joining the ranks of the Valar. She became pregnant."

I sat up quickly shocked and unbelieving. I stared into the eyes of my own beloved while millions of thoughts raced through my insignificant mind. "Impossible…" I whispered to her.

"The union between two immortals is impossible, as is the coming together of an immortal female and a mortal man however, a female human and male vampire are quite capable of breeding."

Very well, let us pretend that were possible. It would take an instrumental amount of control on the male's part not to murder his female human mate with such close proximity. I suppose that a human's reproductive system is still capable at the time and male vampires do produce sperm so…

"Abzu was terrified. He had never once encountered such a miracle. Of course I believe that something such as the two of them never existed before. Abzu had no way of knowing what such unisons would bring forth. He however did know one thing. The others of his kind would not accept the child. They would see it as a dirty thing and abomination and would want it executed. In addition they might as well also kill Tiamat for birthing such a child.

Half vampire and half human but neither and no possible way of knowing what the true result would be until the day of labor threw Abzu into a state of disarray.

One thing was certain to him; he had to hide Tiamat away. He abandoned his position as ruler over the deserts for no reason without question from Mazu. Tiamat and Abzu ran away, literally. However, every single landmass was inhabited by vampires so hiding completely might be impossible. Rumors and whispers of a human accompanied by a vampire who is also guarded by such would raise many suspicions.

There was but one option; the legendary lands of Nedeen. The legend followed as that there was an isle in the center of the world's ocean that grew ever green and was infested with numerous forms of plant life. It was by any other definition an untouched paradise. A paradise with a terrible curse however. According to legend it was covered in some enigmatic spell that caused all those who traveled there to go insane.

Many vampires in the distant past wished to journey there and have done so but none ever returned but a few that lost their minds. In the future Ra even forbade anybody from traveling there at the risk of losing one of his precious soldiers or lieutenants.

Tiamat and Abzu traveled many miles already knowing exactly where the isle was. It took them twenty days to cover the harsh terrain and the crashing waves of the ocean but eventually they reached Nedeen.

On first sight Abzu was stunned by the natural beauty that the land held but it only severed for a short pause in his current terror. Tiamat progressed much faster in her pregnancy than any human woman ever would. Only twenty days had gone by and she was already as pregnant as a human would be after six months. He knew the time would be soon.

He carried her in his arms as she lay there unconscious and weary from the long journey. There were no hints of threat so he proceeded through the beautiful green garden and lovely willows. Suddenly though the trees began to move and their leaves rustled and sounded as if though they were whispering. He froze where he stood.

He held his Tiamat close to him and feared that whatever it was that caused the others to vanish would now befall him as well and he and his beloved would fade into memory. He only wished that he could have seen his child before he met his final doom.

As quickly as the trees began to whisper amongst each other it stopped and stillness flooded the forest. Hesitantly Abzu looked up and saw the dancing rays of the sun and the cloudless day. He didn't know what happened. But it was of no concern to him.

Personally, I believe that the trees recognized why Abzu came with Tiamat and therefore granted him passage onto their lands.

Abzu traveled deep into the island of Nedeen and situated Tiamat trying to make her as comfortable as possible. He was blind to why her pregnancy was moving along so fast but then again he was puzzled to why Tiamat only craved the blood of animals and their meat. He speculated that the child within her was truly vampiric and that she was feeding its dietary needs instead of her own.

Six more days passed with Tiamat's pregnancy growing worse until…"

I laid back down in Bella's lap focused on nothing but the story she was unfolding before me.

"Tiamat screamed in agonizing pain as Abzu soothed her and whispered gentle words of encouragement to her. Her water had broken but it was not water but rather blood. Abzu parted her legs and was prepared to catch the child while Tiamat trashed in pain. He controlled himself bravely as more and more blood spilled from her birth canal.

Eventually he heard a crack and watched Tiamat's legs go limb and Abzu feared the worst. In this moment he saw the head of the child appearing fast and bloody. He put his hand to its head while Tiamat pushed it out. The head completely showed from her birth canal and Abzu carefully removed the baby from her completely.

A son, Tiamat gave birth to baby boy. Abzu held his son while being put under a spell by the charm the child radiated. Tiamat then beseeched him to allow her to hold her child. Abzu complied and gave Tiamat her son. Thick tears rolled from her tired eyes as she stared into the emerald eyes of her newborn.

_Timaeus _she whispered. She named him Timaeus. Abruptly Tiamat yelled out in pain and Abzu reached for the child before noticing that Timaeus had bit his mother. Abzu examined the bite and found small traces of venom on the wound and to his shock he realized that his son was venomous.

However this was not all. Suddenly Tiamat trashed again only able to move her arms while heavy breaths and drops of blood dripped through her mouth. Abzu wondered but then saw that her birth canal was moving and something else was clawing its way through. They not only had one son but two; twins.

While holding Timaeus in one arm he reached for the second head that was trying to escape Tiamat's womb. The baby appeared just as fast as Timaeus had. Carefully Abzu wove his second son in his arms next to his first born and marveled at him too. As he looked at his son he whispered, _Critias. _

Suddenly Tiamat began to groan and grunt while her eyes fell into the back of her head. Abzu panicked but remembered that Timaeus bit her and though he never imagined he'd support such a scenario he prayed that Tiamat would become one of them."

Bella paused and a sad expression moved along her face. I reached up and ran my fingers along her cheek. Undoubtedly speaking of child birth made her think about her own son Calahan even more. Bella leaned into my touch and smiled at me with her crooked grin.

"Now do you understand why she had such reverence for humanity? Because of the children she bore with her vampire lover Abzu Tiamat's humanity stayed intact almost indefinitely. It gave her a just cause to fight for."

"I understand," I said quietly. "I can't even comprehend what it would be like to be a father." But in this moment I wished I could. I wished that Bella and I could be human and that somehow I could give Calahan back to her in some way and some form.

"The next few centuries became quite interesting. Timaeus and Critias grew at a monumental rate. The only thing that exceeded their fast growth was their ability to learn. Tiamat taught them all about humanity and embedded into their minds that humans were their equals and not their slaves. She taught them about love, passion, fellowship, and the appreciation of each new day.

Abzu taught his sons about history, language, geography, and mathematics. They were both described as the most beautiful young men ever to walk the earth. Their development was completed after the seventh year at which time they matched our present age Edward.

They were twins indeed but there was one notable difference. Timaeus inherited his mother's fair hair while Critias received his father's hazelnut brown. Tiamat and Abzu hid them away. They made them stay on Nedeen and only allowed them passage to the rest of the world on special occasion.

In the mean time, Tiamat trained severely. Abzu taught her all the fighting style moves that he knew so she could become an honorable and skilled vampire. Tiamat pursued it even further making friends across the lands especially Kemet and Greece where she furthered her studies. She had but one goal, and that was the overthrow of Ra.

Tiamat was very sneaky. She planted many seeds of doubt and false information in the empire of the Valar so it would cause them to fight each other. After which she would collect her spoils of war and rise to become a dominant power that Ra could no longer ignore.

Eventually as you already know he came to accept Tiamat into the fold and granted her the guardianship and rule of the western hemisphere. This was his last mistake.

The other over lords including Ra who ruled over their territory thought that for centuries much had been moving along in serene. However, they did not suspect for even one moment that something was conspiring on their own table.

Tiamat used her stature and political influence to whisper words of distress to Cronus and voiced her concern for Ra's failing rule. She told him she was concerned about how Ra isolated them in a particular region of the world while many other shores remained unexplored. Cronus listened and was gullible enough to fall beneath Tiamat's spell.

She made the small voices in Cronus' head even worse. Why does Ra not wish to explore other continents she asked him? Why must we follow his rule? He is but only one vampire and surely all of us combined would ensure our victory over him.

It was a very risky move on Tiamat's part. Who was to say that Cronus would not go to Ra and report? Surprisingly though he didn't. He believed that Tiamat's words had merit. Borr on the other hand Tiamat stayed far away from. She knew that he would not fall to her as easily as Cronus had. Borr was a loyal servant of Ra and had been one of his servants for a long time. But that did not mean she couldn't interfere in his affairs.

She began to bombard his territory with lies. The vampires that served under her and believed in her cause supplied false information to Borr's forces. They told them how he wished to plan a rebellion against Ra, and that he already confronted Tiamat whom he attempted to turn to his side.

Timaeus and Critias became involved too. Their scents were mesmerizing but human of nature. Only an old and powerful vampire could ever detect the hints of venom in their blood. They were all but happy to aid their parents. Abzu himself had been infiltrating Ra's own forces and spreading rumors of how Cronus planned to overthrow him.

Timaeus and Critias infested the human population under their control with the idea that their gods were no gods. If their gods are all knowing and so powerful then why can they not swoop down and kill the two brothers where they stand for speaking such lies? It took Timaeus and Critias nearly two hundred years to spread enough doubt in the humans and their offspring to mount a rebellion.

In those two centuries Tiamat and Abzu were also successful in creating great misdoubt between Ra and his followers.

To make it short Edward, civil war broke out."

Why am I not surprised? Yet another war although this one was much more ancient than the one that Bella was involved in thousands of years ago.

"Cronus was able to ally himself with many more vampires and created many newborns in order to fight Ra. Their forces were matched in size and strength. Borr had already fallen. The followers of Tiamat were successful in convincing his followers that Borr was no longer loyal to Ra and betrayed him. Even though Borr objected Ra killed him anyway. Especially after Tiamat agreed and spoke of how Borr had wanted to sway her to his side.

Before Borr could speak out against Tiamat Ra killed him. Tiamat had done much over the many years to earn Ra's undeniable trust and was as if though his right hand. Tiamat though did not aid Ra in the battle against Cronus. She conveyed to him that if his armies fall but would still emerged victorious over Cronus single handedly that he should have territory to return too and glorify himself once more as the supreme ruler.

Eventually though Tiamat had to make a mistake. Even though she did not, something did not go according o plan that eventually caused her a great price that she had to pay in the end.

Ra defeated Cronus' forces and Cronus became enraged. He had so adamantly tried to defeat Ra and obtain the rule that Ra held but he was defeated. In a last attempt before Ra killed Cronus he decided to get revenge on the one person that caused his downfall; Tiamat. He instructed the last vampire loyal to him, Ea, to seek out and destroy Tiamat's mate Abzu.

She was successful. Abzu never even saw it coming. He was on his way back to Asgard in Midgard to seek out other vampires to aid them in their struggle when Ea used the element of surprise and attacked him. She was able to grip him around his body and trap him.

She sunk her teeth into his neck and tore him open and severed his head from his body. She performed the rest of the necessities in order to vanquish a vampire then.

Before whispers of his death even reached Tiamat, she already knew. Call it the connection shared between soul mates. When one wick is unlit of ifs flame it will only be a matter of time before the other fades into the stillness of the night."

I sighed disappointed that this story had to take a tragic turn but seemingly so did all vampire tales.

"Tiamat was crushed. She could not handle the pain and sorrow it brought to her heart to feel and hear of the death of her loved one. It devastated her. She had been with him already for 3,000 years.

Even though she lost Abzu she still had her children whom she ordered away and told them to return to Nedeen. They obliged with doubts in their hearts.

Borr was dead, and so was Cronus. Many other vampires had fallen in the struggle for power as well such as Ra's mate Hathor, and also Cronus' mate Rhea. She knew that the dynasty in which they lived was hanging by thin threads. Much of Ra's armies were diminished and he had but only Tiamat's lands left.

Tiamat decided to unleash the decisive final blow and dispersed her territory and ordered the humans to flee into all the lands of the world. She commanded the vampires loyal to her to escape and seek refuge elsewhere and promised that Ra would never come looking for them.

It was done then. Ra had nothing left but himself, a handful of followers, and his last lieutenant Marduk. Ra approached Tiamat to why she had released his last legion to the west which left him with nothing. Emotionless and empty Tiamat told him everything she had conspired. How she was the cause for Cronus' attack and how she orchestrated the death of Borr, and that it was she that planned the downfall of the vampire dynasty lead by Ra. She had destroyed everything he built.

Ra was infuriated. It was catastrophic to find that his entire empire was destroyed right underneath his nose. Mad and filled with hatred he ordered Marduk to engage Tiamat and to kill her.

Tiamat did not resist her assassination. She accepted her fate and smiled into the face of death. But before Marduk decapitated her she had but one thing left to say:

_Hear this vile one, your empire is all but spent and humanity no longer sings you songs of hymn and joy. The skies illuminate with the golden light of the future as the moon awaits the arrival of your metal bones and your exposed heart of ice. The old kingdom has fallen and much like the vampires and humans you have slaughtered, you too will become obsolete. _

_Your reign of terror and bloody claws will be remembered by our children's children but fear this; they will have no reason to tremble by the mere mention of your unholy name but rather laugh at your stupidity. _

_This world belongs to humanity. We have no place here. One day we will turn to nothing but statues of a long forgotten past. We are what we are… broken hearts. _

Tiamat smiled then, one last time.

_I'll await your arrival in the underworld._

Marduk killed her and Tiamat's legend ended."

"That's sad," I said, "after all she did it had to end like that? She didn't even succeed in killing Ra." I was disappointed that Tiamat did not complete her destiny but was still proud. If Bella was right and we were distant descendants of Tiamat's venom than there was greatness flowing in us.

"Fear not Edward. Tiamat was avenged indeed.

Word spread to Timaeus and Critias that her mother had fallen. The news affected them gravely. First their father, and now their mother who never practiced nothing but peace and compassion was dead too. Overcome with grief over her passing the brothers decided to turn their sorrow into anger and use it against Ra. They did not obey her request see. They did not travel to Nedeen but stayed on the current continent.

Whilst Ra attempted to rebuild his domain from scratch which proved unsuccessful Timaeus and Critias used the cover at night and the gifts that their parents had bestowed. They were able to move through the city without fear of detection since their bodies produced no evident scent of venom. They were able to move, cloaked, right by the vampires guarding the gates and infiltrate the city. The guards proceeded them as nothing but pitiful mortals.

It was a gift that their mother must have passed on to them. Once inside Ra's pyramid they used the tactical skill they had been taught and were able to quite easily take out the remainder of his guard, Marduk included. When all but Ra was left they quietly slithered to his private chambers and invaded him.

He was startled and surprised and had not even witnessed the end of his final forces and allies when Timaeus encircled his body and brought him to his knees while his brother reached for Ra's neck.

Ra menacingly glared at them. _Humans _he asked them. Timaeus and Critias smiled and simply replied:

_Neither human nor Valar but more powerful than both, _Timaeus said.

_You bind our mother to her earthly grave but now it is time for you to die so her name may be free and her spirit along with that of our fathers can find rest, above, with the stars. _

Ra died and the twins avenged their mother. Much chaos ensued afterwards which truly was nothing. The old kingdoms had fallen and humanity was free of their enslavement. Vampires were free too then, and were allowed to go their separate ways even though the worship did not end there. But it was lessened."

"What happened to the brothers?" I asked curiously.

"They did not feel welcome amongst vampires and chose to hide their identity and existence from them. They did not feel warmth from humanity either. For a time humanity remembered the sins vampires had committed against them and would surely not accept them since part of them was vampiric.

So they set out to distant shores, and returned to Nedeen. Although they did not return alone," Bella grinned playfully.

"Apparently they had found love themselves and brought their new wives whom belonged to the human race with them to Nedeen along with very few other humans that could not overcome the grief that vampires had caused them. They decided to rebuilt and father a new civilization away from all the others.

This civilization became known as Atlantis."

I gasped. "But then… Did Timaeus and Critias father children?" I asked her stunned.

"Yes they did, and so did their children and on and on. This is why Lanteans like me had longevity, perfect health, and mental abilities because we were all descendants of Timaeus and Critias. It is true that these two were immortal but the breeding and introduction of other humans who fled to Atlantis which they saw as a safe haven deteriorated that line.

Eventually over the course of the next 7,000 years we had developed into a stage in which I was before I became a vampire. We had nothing left but a small venom like protein marker in our immune system that was responsible for our long life and perfect health.

So you see? Being a vampire was in my blood since birth."

I was shocked, abashed, and, and… well… I couldn't think of any other words to describe my emotional state.

"So you lied to me when you said you didn't know why Lanteans were so different from humans?" I questioned her. Bella smiled mischievously.

"Surprised?" she asked. I shook my head vigorously.

"NO, not at all."

Bella giggled and leaned her head back against the wall and closed her eyes.

"You know, there is a small prayer that was taught to all Lantean children since the dawn of our great city. Would you like to hear it?" she asked.

"Of course," I answered quickly.

_Submerged in shadow and dark a world on the brink of falling, _

_Ruled by terror, chaos and fear beneath a black sun, _

_A light emerged from within the night luminous and glorious,_

_The coils of ancient war phased and were blown away,_

_Sacrifice of husband and foe freed the soul of the weeping maiden,_

_Spread her wings and flew away towards crimson horizons,_

_But fret not dear children,_

_The white city stands strong and tall, _

_Love yourselves for she lives in you,_

_She has freed you and given you new wings,_

_Rejoice under the new born sun made of light,_

_And sleep tightly tonight, _

_Her breath became a wind that sails through our hearts, _

_For we, _

_Are her,_

_Legacy._

**(Authors Note)** – Sorry for the late update but you know how it is with Christmas and especially New Years ;-)! Please review and let me know what you think. Before I forget, Cronus and Cronos are two different vampires.


	36. Chapter 35

Hey guys, sorry for the long delay but it tends to take a bit longer to update when the world comes crashing down around you. Anyhow, so far I believe that this is my favorite chapter because I enjoy reading interactions between Bella and Jasper. According to my calculations there might be 5-7 chaps (if not less) before this story is complete. After which I am currently deciding whether or not to go ahead and get started on the sequel OR write another story that's been floating around in my head. The reason why I might write another story before the sequel is because I like the plot line I created for it and so I can get a break from this one so I won't get sick of it. Trust me, at the end of the day after updating and rereading, I am sick of this story ;-)! Not sick in a bad way but sick as in tired. I also want to do this so I can maybe get more ideas for the sequel. If you don't mind, after reading the chapter, please review your opinions on the chap and tell me if you'd rather have the sequel right away or the other tale. I will write a short plot summary at the end of this chapter for you. Thanks guys.

* * *

Broken Hearts

(Third Person POV)

The clouds gathered over Forks foreboding an ill omen to come from a nearby evil wish. The birds glided through the shadows of the clouds nestling in their nests and keeping warm. A white manor in the midst of the trees and mists was alit with a new flame of contentment.

Mere hours had passed and the legendary tale of Tiamat told by one of her many daughters arranged itself in the Cullen's thoughts. Stifling and baffled they sat together in the living room still absorbing and rifling through the story. A vampire of such significance that brought upon the imminent end to an era of darkness was a descendant that eventually reached all the way down to Carlisle.

There was greatness flowing through their veins. There was a legacy humming and dancing in the most decadent recesses of their minds. But they were unaware and ignorant to what the voices sang. The genetic memory was lost and forgotten. Santino did not care to pass it to Carlisle whom he never knew as Carlisle never knew his maker.

Carlisle sat on the couch with his hands folded into one another staring at the Persian rug. Bella's words echoed through his mind like sonar; searching and seeking the answers that weren't there. Yet hope remained eternal for him. Esme sat next to him biting her lower lip slightly, puzzling and relishing the knowledge Bella had spilled.

Tiamat was a loving mother as she herself was, Esme thought. Was this a trait passed on to her through Tiamat's venom line or was this ability all herself? Carlisle's passion rivaled none other in the world and yet Tiamat expelled a similar radiance, and even Rosalie's tenacity or determination. Emmett seemed to have inherited her strength and sense of righteousness.

But Edward Esme wondered. What is it that Edward was given?

"It's amazing," Carlisle whispered quietly. Jasper looked up. A small smile was playing its way around his lips. Though it was the first time he ever heard the legend of Tiamat he could see a beautiful fair haired woman in front of his eyes as though it wasn't a dream.

"Atlantis?" Emmett giggled. "I'm still havin' a tough time believing in that one."

"But it seems to be true," Alice said mesmerized. She was reminiscing about the time spent with Bella in town. Even though she couldn't uncover anything new about her Alice made Bella feel welcome and at home. She grunted mentally remembering how Bella acted like a stick in the mud. After all she didn't pick any clothing herself, had no comments for anything Alice picked out for her, and the only reaction she ever got was a slight nod of the head when Alice picked a dark hue for a color.

Jasper sat in silence next to Alice on the love seat contemplating the story himself. Even though he had no relation to Tiamat other than they were both of the same species he could see the story of Tiamat literally unfolding in front of him while Bella verbalized it. That wasn't the end of it however. For days now things had been entering his mind, things he never knew.

At first the 'visions' seemed jubilant showing green trees, beautiful sunsets, and groomed him with positive emotions. But the visions began to erratically shift. They began showing him dark horizons filled with red lighting and horrendous roars. There were dark jungles and he saw himself running and being chased by an unknown entity. Destruction, chaos, thirst, and devilry sprang from these visions now. They made him feel anxious and afraid.

_Jasper… _A gentle voice flew through Jaspers ears. He looked up startled looking at Alice who seemed deep in thought.

_Jasper… … _The voice sounded again. He looked around unnoticed. The others much like Alice were still strung to and deliberating Tiamat. The low whisper was much more like a hum on the breeze. Where was it coming from he wondered? The visions wasn't all Jasper had been experiencing. Quite the contrary, at times he heard voices in the far reaches of his growing mind. Sometimes even snarls and growls that even to him seemed menacing and threatening.

_Jasper… come to me… _His eyebrows nearly coiled when he heard the voice again. It seemed no one but he could hear it. It was Bella he concluded. It was her serene tone he realized. 'Come to me' he repeated mentally. Suddenly sparks ignited within him. Was this the talk that she referred to? Would he get answers to all of the bizarre occurrences he had been experiencing? Could Bella make the voices stop? The cries of misery?

Slowly he unhinged his arm form around Alice's shoulder and rose from his seated position. Nobody in the room noticed his gesture. He felt the curiosity and heaviness they felt bombarding his body, seething through, and entering his own feelings. Alice was but the only one that noticed.

"What are you doing?" She asked him. Jasper smiled at her with not one single scar covering his marble face anymore.

"I think I'll go for quick hunt in the woods." Alice's brows twitched confused.

"But I didn't see you going for a hunt today. I thought you were going tomorrow. Why this change at the last minute?" She asked blindly. Alice's vision had already stretched to what's to come and was taken in by Jaspers sudden urge to rearrange what she had seen.

Jasper kept his smile in place. "No particular reason. I could go for some adrenalin and thrill. I'm not sure how deer and elk will serve that purpose to the fullest extent but nonetheless. It might hold a bit merit. So if you'll excuse me ma'am." Jasper bowed like a Texan gentlemen causing Alice to flash him a brilliant smile.

"Fine," she whispered. "Don't keep me waiting too long." Jasper and Alice shared a moment of glances between them with the electric currents in the air growing stronger. Jasper smiled showing his teeth and turned away to head for the back porch.

He didn't like not telling Alice the truth especially if she were to see what he was going to do. But it was for him to uncover these secrets and then share them with Alice when he was ready.

He slid open the glass door looking at the gloomy horizons. The voice he heard was definitely not a sound in his mind. It was like she had physically whispered his name. His hearing along with a few other attributes like strength, speed, and stamina had greatly improved. They were perfect before but now they were near godly.

Jasper raced across the few yards of grass leaving the individual leaves beneath his feet intact and leaped over the river and headed into the forest bound to find Bella. Watching him from the third story was Edward. His hands were in his pockets and a foreshadowing grimace moved over his face. He sighed worried already knowing what Bella was about to divulge to him.

"Good luck," Edward murmured after Jasper as his brother raced towards the woman that brought both of them back to life. 'Things are about to get so hard for him' Edward thought.

Jasper leaped and bounced through the forest. The speed boost he obtained through Bella's venom was mesmerizing. He had always thought he was fast as his regular old self but now he seemed more like a rocket. While he ran through the damp green alien forest he consulted himself on what to ask Bella about first. Of course he could not foretell whether or not she would led him get a word in edgewise.

However, even if his tongue should remain numb throughout their talks there was one question he wanted to direly ask her. Above all the visions and or memories Jasper has been experiencing there is one that towers all the others. It was so vividly detailed and perceptive it could fool any mortal into believing they had been sent through a time portal.

Jasper sees himself sitting down in a dark and ancient forest. There are vines and dust hanging off the trees and they are so close together it almost seems thick and an unbearable environment. Humans that depend on breathing would suffocate within the midsts of these ferocious wooden giants. In front of him he sees soaring flames and embers springing forth like small fire flies. A small camp fire was just right in front of him. The crunching and searing sound of the flames was but the only noise.

The vision seemed to move or rather the eyes of Bella he must have been staring through. There were figures in the dark forest. There were others with him and he wasn't alone. He could not make out their faces. They all stared wearily to the floor as if though they had all just been beaten and taken over.

All he could tell was there were two other women and five men judging from their physique. This 'memory' was accompanied by emotions foreign to Jasper. He felt a great deal of accomplishment and fulfillment. Yet at the same time he felt a great sorrow. There was a despair clinging on to these individuals of the likes he never encountered before. They were vampires yet they sat so uncomfortably and weakly he thought they were about to fall over from exhaustion. As if they had reached an end in their existence without hope for either redemption or a path leading back to the light.

They were so weary, and appeared so tired.

"Our journey has begun anew." Jasper heard Bella's frail voice and it was she whom he saw through that was speaking. The seven others raised their faces towards her. Jasper saw nothing but the crimson fires in their eyes from the corners of Bella's as she stared at the flames of the camp.

"There is no prayer now that could bear us hence…" It was Bella's final whisper and the memory ended. Though it seemed so short and somewhat blatant to what fate was described Jasper still felt that there was much more to this memory. But what?

The emotions alone told thousands of stories. There was so much grief, pain, suffering, and hatred in the air within that vision. But these were not all; he also felt love, fellowship, and camaraderie between these vampires. There was a bond that somehow linked them to each other; a bond much stronger than between mother and child, friends, siblings, and even lovers that he could not explain.

Jasper had only been running for a few seconds when suddenly something gripped the back of his shirt. The iron grip was strong enough to halt him completely and his feet were up in the air for but a fraction of a second. He looked up and saw Bella's face upside down, smirking mischievously.

"There are other ways to get people's attention you know," Jasper complained. Bella let him go and Jasper straightened up his t-shirt while standing up tall.

"You have become swift as the wind," Bella complimented. Jasper hid his blushing like smile well.

"You have wanted a meeting with me and I with you so we may examine possible strategies for your reservations. Also, there are various things that you must be aware of."

Jasper nodded listening carefully to every word Bella spoke. Bella nodded back one approvingly. "Let us take a stroll," she suggested.

Without awaiting his response Bella began gliding deeper into the forest. Jasper didn't answer but merely followed her already knowing that it was not a proposition but rather an _order. _He caught up with her after a few steps through the muddy ground and walked next to her, side by side.

Thousands of little voices invaded his mind, voices that were his own. There were so many questions that he wanted to ask her. Only days ago he envied Edward for being able to speak and spend time with her and possibly unearthing some answers that perhaps all vampires seek.

He would let her make the first move and keep his mouth in check. He had never felt this way before concerning Bella who had insulted and embarrassed him so harshly the very first time they met. Yet, ever since the fusion of their venoms a sense of respect towards her emerged from within him. It was something he could not contain.

Bella stopped, and so did Jasper whilst watching her closely. He was curious to see how she would approach him. He was however bound to thanking her for saving his life and the new abilities that he now possessed thanks to her. At times he even felt a bit ecstatic about his newly discovered heightened senses and skill, and even being able to understand a language that no one else knew about gave him great pride.

Unfortunately for Jasper he would within minutes learn that it was not a gift that Bella had presented him with but rather a curse. It was a curse that is seen by the ancients as the greatest fret within a vampire's soul. There was a reason the practice Bella had performed on him was forbidden. The truth being that Jasper would have been better off dead, and gone.

Bella reached over and softly wrapped her hand around Jaspers arm. He in turn looked shocked and frozen by the chilly touch of Bella's hand. Bella looked at him grief stricken.

"I am sorry…" she whispered miserable. A cool breeze blew across Jasper face refreshing the curiousness, and confusion. He registered the coldness of Bella's hand. Much like Edward had once thought Jasper was puzzling over why her touch was so arctic like.

"What are you apologizing for?" He asked. Bella seemed low and distant. She resented the fact that she would have to explain all of this to him. Not to mention that she would have to make him feel what others have over the course of the eons. Fortunately for Jasper Bella would be here to help him through it; for now. But soon enough the winds would blow her back to the east.

"There is a reason why this practice is forbidden Jasper. I should never have given in and returned you to the world of the living," Bella whispered trance like.

Jasper cocked his head to the side, "So you're saying you regret saving me? That you'd wish I would have died?" His tone was turning sour.

Bella looked at him with a burden resting on her delicate features and with ease she answered him, "Yes." Jasper gasped as the air got stuck in his throat.

"I regret a great many things however I am an immortal and regret is all that I have. I have left fear long behind me while heading towards darker horizons and what appears to be fear on my face is a mere reminisce of boredom.

But the truth is that you should have died. For now you will suffer greatly because of what I did."

It was all confusing. Jasper couldn't understand a word Bella spoke. Why would he have to suffer? Why would she regret saving his life? If they were to go back in time she would just led him die in the arms of his Alice and make her endure horrible pain because of his passing? Was she serious?

Jasper shook it off for now. There were too many other things weighing on his mind.

"So what exactly happened there? What is happening to me now?" He asked Bella. Bella had looked away and was staring off into the forest. For a split second he wondered whether or not she would answer but luckily he received.

"My venom intermingled with yours. The wounds caused by a Moriatus to a vampire are the most traumatic our kind can experience. You, one who is so young cannot survive such a lethal attack. Even vampires that have been on this road for much longer find it difficult to survive and most of them die shortly after being attacked.

Your venom is so young and impudent. It is not capable of producing the healing properties your body would have needed in order to restore it. However, my venom has flown within my veins for over 10,000 years. It has reached a stage of purity in which it no longer requires the nutrients of blood in order to maintain a balance within my body. My venom along with the ones of others is the most powerful elixir on earth.

Only a vampire that has gone beyond the title of 'ancient' or even 'ancient vampire elder' or whatever else the young generation has seen fit to call us can recover from the brutal assault of a Moriatus.

The process of injecting another vampire with your own venom can only take place if the venom has great potency. If Carlisle for example were to allow Edward to drink from him nothing would occur other than Edward having a rather searing throat for a short while. But those of us who's venom is the strongest and if we induce young ones such as you with it the results will be phenomenal.

The two venoms will fuse together with the older and stronger one having dominance. Do not misinterpret, your own venom still flows within your veins however my own has inflicted much maintenance. It was like repairing a broken dam with new materials.

I cannot even call your venom your own as a matter of fact. Our two strands fusing together have produced a new strand within you. One you must now get used to. It is like an 'upgrade' to your anatomy. What my venom exactly did within you was age you; age you to the point in which you are equivalent to the power of a vampire after 5,000 years.

Your new found strength, stamina, agility, superior vampire senses, and even your unique gift are now what they would have been in the year 7010 A.D. That however is not all. I suspect when you examined my 'mirror' you were able to read the language?"

Jasper's shuddering lips were able to manage a quite whisper, "Yes…".

"Ah, then you now have the rare gift to read, and even write the ancient language of the vampire; Vamerra. Know that I did not give you this ability by choice."

Jasper was baffled. He stood gazing at Bella with his mouth wide open trying to absorb everything she divulged to him. '10,000 years', he thought. How can any living intelligent being harbor all that time?

"Have you been seeing things?" Bella asked him grinding her teeth. Jasper blinked repeatedly returning from his trance on Bella's many millennia spent.

"Yes," he replied swiftly. The visions were filling his mind again. So many of them and so chaotic, and who knew what else lay in the dormant areas that have yet to reveal themselves.

Bella sighed agitated, and worried. "When performing what I did on a younger one it is unlike venenum memoria. The memory transferring process is not a choice. The mere science of it is astronomical, and not to mention that no ancient can ever give you a clear view of how it is done. However, when turning a human into a vampire it can be controlled what will be passed on and what not. One may hold back certain memories and feelings while allowing the rest to flow into their younglings. But when infusing a vampire with another vampire's venom it is nearly impossible to tell what will be passed on. Some of us have the strength to hold back as much as we can yet still things slither through the cracks."

"Is that why it's forbidden?" Jasper asked. "You don't want anyone knowing who or what you are or is it more than that? Is it more an infringing on privacy sort of matter?"

Bella shook her head disagreeing. "Some things are not meant to be known Jasper, and there are so many others that are better left forgotten. There are so many things that you, your family, humans, and all other vampires should not fret about. You should have the right to live out your eternities in peace and at least make an effort to exist harmonically." There was a sudden sadness in Bella's eyes that Jasper picked up on right away.

"At who's expense," he asked suspiciously. Bella puffed smiling and looking away. "Well?" Jasper asked again.

Bella folded her arms over her chest and the 'change of topic' lay in the air. "Its exhilarating isn't it?" Jasper noticed her changing the subject and grinned shaking his head.

"Well, yeah it is. I never felt more alive," he answered. Bella closed her eyes and dark dusty shadows like she once so frequently carried moved in beneath her lashes.

"Those that stood on the same water once as you described their emotions just as you have. Not many have experienced what you now have but there were still enough in order to observe the consequences of this practice."

Jasper grew more confused by the minute. "What do you call this 'practice' anyway?"

Bella gave him a dark and faraway look. "There is no name for it. It is forbidden and should never be put into common usage again like it once was. Even then not many were created in the heat of the War of Wars. The ancients that used it realized their grave mistake and swore to never unleash it again."

Suddenly fear moved into Jaspers mind. He felt absolutely fine he thought. What did she do to me he debated. What could be so bad? Is it something physical? It can't be and maybe it is something emotional or on a mental level?

"Vampires that were 'recreated' using this practice were common during the War of Wars. The ancients that fought the great battles wanted more powerful soldiers rather than just uncontrollable and blood thirsty newborns. It worked well for awhile until the 'tainted' as they were called began to exhibit the first signs of deterioration.

However this happened nearly two centuries after they were given the more powerful venom of their elders. I on the other hand will not wait 200 hundred years. I will make you face the deterioration now so you may begin to cope."

"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?" Jasper screamed at her. "THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH ME I FEEL ABSOLUTELY FINE!" The fear was clear in his crimson eyes that had not yet faded back to their honey gold.

Bella put up one of her hands defensively. "Jasper I have no other choice. The possibility that I will not be there for you in 200 years is high. Believe me, there is nobody on this Earth that can help you face what is about to come other than I."

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN 200 YEARS? YOU AREN'T PLANNING ON STAYING WITH EDWARD?" Jasper bellowed growing angrier as the moments passed.

Abruptly Jasper grunted as a high pitched noise entered his thoughts and another vision emerged from the depth. He closed his eyes and saw the image before him. He saw Edward, human, right in front of him with a hectic and frightened expression on his face.

"YOU AREN'T PLANNING ON STAYING HERE ARE YOU? GO, GO TO THE PIER." Edwards green eyes looked tearful and panicked. He shoved who must have been Bella forward and away from him.

The vision became blurry and watery. Bella must have been weeping.

The vision faded to blackness. Jasper gripped his head as the sudden serious numbness and pain faltered away. This 'memory' was unlike the others. It was extreme and forceful as if he was actually the one Edward was gripping. But uncertainty moved into his mind. Bella and Edward never met while Edward was human.

"It hurts doesn't it?" Bella asked him, closely watching Jasper. Jasper heaved breaths in and out processing the memory; Bella's memory.

"Those that the ancients inflicted bore those same symptoms. Listen to me Jasper. It is unnatural to gain such power within minutes. Your mind cannot handle all of that at once. You have to help me by allowing me to help you. Please, do not argue with what you do not understand. If you refuse my assistance the same thing that happened to the others will happen to you."

"And what would that be?" He asked perplexed and at crossroads. Bella wore a sorrowful smile then.

"They destroyed themselves Jasper. They could not handle all of that knowledge, all those memories. They were like ticking bombs only waiting to go off. If you won't accept my help you could end up hurting people nearby, Alice even."

Alice? Jasper shuddered at the mere thought of ripping one strain of hair from that marveling head. What Bella said brought fear into his soul. Here he thought she was his savior and gave him a new lease on life but now he must face the fact that unwillingly Bella might have become his liberator.

But Alice… NO. He wouldn't allow it. He had to do anything in order to protect his Alice. If he were to hurt her he would eternally blame himself. As a matter of fact, he knew he would go to Italy.

"What do I do?" He asked through his teeth.

Bella sighed. "Usually the most powerful of memories the ancient in questions possess, the ones that linger with us, are the ones that are passed on without doubt. You will have no other choice but to trust me. There is a price that will have to be paid towards the end of this journey. You will understand why this practice is forbidden Jasper.

Jasper, wearily and disappointed nodded agreeing.

Bella took a deep breath preparing herself for the hellish pilgrimage ahead for it will not only be Jasper suffering.

"Close your eyes son." Jasper obliged and did as Bella asked. "Clear your thoughts and think of absolutely nothing. There can be no thoughts, no images, and no feelings. Concentrate on the black void in front of your eyes and the tone of my voice."

Jasper bowed his head trying to fulfill Bella's order. He blocked out the noises of the small animals in the distance. The chirping of the birds, the steps of deer, and the drops of water bouncing of the leaves became muted as Jasper isolated himself in his mind. The blankness in front of him was disturbing but he couldn't even think of that. He has to think of nothing.

"The blackness is there and in front of you. Nothing else around you matters but that dark place. In this place nothing can touch you, nothing can phase you, and nothing can reach you. The lights of your own memories are left behind. They are not your goal. You are trying to find something else hidden in the recesses of your mind."

Bella began circling Jasper and using her hypnotic voice to summon the memories that she knew were stored in his 'buffer', they were her strongest and most painful memories. They were images of death.

"The darkness in front of your eyes begins to shimmer. You see it fluctuating. The knowledge that we seek lies behind that dark wall. The memories you must endure in order to save keep your own existence lie there. Allow my voice to fill you and guide you."

There was a sudden flash in Jaspers mind. It was like lighting had struck for just a minute but there was no image.

"Now, you are relaxed and your mind is empty of thought patterns. Your relaxed state must now become solely focused on me. Think of nothing but my appearance. Think of my face, smell, voice, clothes, and all else you know of me. I am now the prime subject of your mind."

The flashes returned to Jasper much more frequent yet still nothing remained indefinitely. He was almost able to make out something but it disappeared so quickly. Bella noticed Jaspers twitching brows.

"Focus on the images. Summon them to you using my image as a point of origin."

Jasper did as Bella asked. He focused and conjured on a mental picture of Bella and pushed his mind towards those flashes.

Then suddenly something was coming towards him in the depth. Out from the darkness and edging its way closer at a tremendous pace came a blinding light. Jasper began to whimper as the first rays of the light touched him. The coolness he unexpectedly felt was overwhelming. It felt like knives slashing away at his body. Then the light of the memory he was suppose to summon emerged.

Bella watched Jasper scream at the top of his lungs towards the gloomy sky. Bella stayed anticipated and fixed. Jasper's knees buckled and he fell to the ground. His entire body shivered at the intensity of the memory playing in his mind. He reached for his heart and gripped his chest. His breathing hitched and he began wheezing.

From the white flash in his mind the memory surfaced. He saw through the eyes of Bella. She was running. The surroundings were a sight of destruction and chaos. There were buildings, marvelous buildings constructed of white and red stones ablaze and being impacted by violent bolts of lightning. The fires raged and threw themselves from one place to the next. The smoke rising from their heated tails made Bella cough and cover her face. She ran through a once beautiful garden overgrown with thousands of wild flowers that were now coiling to cinders at the intensity of the heat.

It was like the fires were following her. Her vision was blurry and watery; she was crying. It was her home Jasper thought. She was witnessing its oblivion.

"CELEST!" A distant voice screamed. Bella stopped and turned. There was somebody coming towards her, and it was a familiar soul. Edward came running towards Bella. His face was smeared with black dust from the fiery smoke.

They both embraced pressing each other tightly up against one another. They pulled back and Edward kissed Bella on the face. It looked almost as if Edward was kissing Jasper from his point of view. Edward pulled back looking at Bella up and down with his emerald eyes.

"You are not hurt?" He asked quickly. Bella shook her head.

"No but we have to get Calahan. My parents retrieved him from the temple. The boat already stands ready at the docks. We must make haste."

It was strange Jasper thought. Their lips weren't synchronizing the correspondent movements for English words yet they appeared to be so. Unless, they were speaking a foreign language and somehow his mind was translating like it had done before; Vamerra?

Bella and Edward were running. They moved swiftly through the blazes while squeezing their eyes shut at the sight of dead bodies. Some of them were struck by the ferocious lightning. Then there were others that had been crushed by the falling rubble and others that burned painfully to their death. Both Bella and Edward's hearts nearly cracked in response as the souls of their people were slowly ebbing away.

"THERE," Edward yelled as they ran underneath a bridge and saw a small white cottage. Jasper felt Bella's heart soaring at the sight of its stance. It had not yet fallen. Through a small window he saw a small boy at first frightened and tearful but when their eyes locked a glamorous smile appeared on his youthful features. He waved his hands towards his parents.

Fate was a cruel wrench, vindictive, abusive, and a shadowy likeness of the evils of the ancient world. In but the second of their halt and joy of seeing their son alive a crashing wave of water flew over the houses behind, crushing wooden roofs and filling their interior.

The wave continued and crashed the top of the cottage. Suddenly Calahan was swept away as his childish cry reanimated the sinister night. The waves came crushing through the windows and the door.

"NOOO," Bella screeched. She ran towards the cottage with Edward only inches behind her tears already filling his eyes.

The raging waters that came through the door washed along the body of their son. Bella fell to the ground waterfalls of tears washing over her face. She embraced her son and held him close in her arms whilst shaking him.

"Calahan, CALAHAN!" The small boy lay lifeless in Bella's arms. There was a wound on his right temple and blood was flowing down his innocent face. Edward put his arms around Bella and the other around his son.

"CALAHAN, CALAHAN," Bella screamed. She was waiting for him to open his eyes. She awaited his breath, some movement, and she waited for his heart to start beating again.

"Celest…" Edward whispered. Bella ignored him. She bent down and kissed Calahan all over his face.

"CELEST," Edward whispered forceful and shook her shoulders. Bella looked at him fretting. She almost couldn't see his face with the tears spilling freshly over her cheeks.

There were even more tears running down Edward's face. He shook his head slowly while moaning and his chest shuddering and paining.

"He's gone…" Edward whispered. Bella screamed. Her hand lashed out like a whip as she slapped his face. Edward didn't respond as the tears came to him more and more.

"You know this… His voice is gone…" Edward barely managed the words. Bella sobbed louder and more uncontrolled and hugged her dead son to her, kissing his hair and ears.

A loud bang was heard overhead. Edward looked up and saw the lightning impacting a larger house up ahead and the rubble falling and crushing their former home now filled with sea water.

Still teary and torn inside, Edward reached for Celest and pulled her to her feet. Her small son laid dead and cold on the concrete ground. She reached for him again, and again as Edward pulled her to him.

"NO, NO," she bellowed.

"We have to leave Celest! THERE IS NOTHING LEFT FOR US NOW!" Bella looked at him angry and frustrated. But the feelings subsided when she saw the despair in his face. She saw her own pain reflecting in his eyes.

"There is nothing left to live for… The white city has fallen. There is nothing left to salvage but the painful memories that we now harbor. There is no place left to go…" Bella whispered crying.

Enraged Edward yanked her exactly in front of him forcing her eyes to open.

"YOU AREN'T PLANNING ON STAYING HERE ARE YOU?" He screamed at her. There seemed no life left in her. She nodded.

Edward grunted while the tears still came to him. "GO, GO TO THE PIER."

"WHY?" Bella yelled at him.

His angry expression faded as the sorrow moved back into his eyes. "I will not lose you. I will not bare the sorrow over your passing. We have already lost everything. Please Celest… Do not make me lose you too!"

There was a moment of stillness and calm when their tears exchanged sparkles. They both reflected each others broken spirits and shattered emotions. Jasper felt the pain on the ground. He could feel every single ounce of Bella's emotions. His heart felt like it wanted to beat again for but a split second so it could only break apart again.

Suddenly the memory flashed out of his mind but only to be replaced by another. Only seconds or perhaps minutes could have passed. Jasper saw Bella running through a beautiful garden. But where was Edward? He had told her to go to the pier and wait there for him whilst he determined whether or not any other survivors were on route Bella's memory told him.

Bella descended down a flight of stair made of stone before running through an archway that had been carved with designs of tridents. She hurried along to a small boat almost falling when she jumped in. Hastily she unraveled a tight knot releasing the light brown sails of the vessel. Bella crawled back out of the boat to check if it was still connected and anchored to the stone pole that held it in place.

Bella, wet and teary looked to the stairs awaiting his arrival.

Jasper whimpered and cried on the cold ground of the forest. Bella stood over him watching intently. She was reliving the memory with him. Her eyes were sad and filled with pity for Jaspers frail form. But she knew that it were better for him to endure this now rather than centuries later when she would not be around to aid him through this chaotic quest.

Suddenly there was the noise of several steps gliding down the staircase. Bella who had been on the ground and chanting silent prayers to the old ones scrambled off the floor and ran towards who she presumed was Edward.

A loud crack exploded from the sky overhead that turned the night to day for but a second. A large bolt of lightning circled like a serpent towards the ground impacting the space between Bella and Edward, throwing them both back.

"NO," Jasper bellowed. Bella closed her eyes and tried to keep her breathing steady. She knew the memories were coming to an end, all too soon.

Jasper saw the sky in front of him, a dark sky with enraged lighting bolts crashing down in the city. Bella had survived. She managed to sit up and frantically searched through the fog the lightning had left behind. There was movement on the steps. She tripped, twice before finally being back on her feet and ran towards him. And it was Edward.

He was grunting and trashing lying on the stairs. Bella threw herself at him.

"HELIOS, HELIOS," she screamed. Helios? Jasper thought confused.

He opened his bright green eyes and smiled at Bella. Bella smiled back at him, covered in dirt and smudge from the fires. She reached for Helios' arm and pulled him to his feet. Helios gritted his teeth together and unsuccessfully tried to contain a cry of pain.

Bella, nervous and hysteric wrapped her arm around his back and traced the source for his pain. She saw him covering a small portion of his right side by his ribs. Between his fingers she could see small red traces of blood.

"HELIOS," she screamed panicked. Helios wrapped his own arm around Bella and moved both of them towards the boat.

"No need to quarry in worry love. It is nothing traumatic; it will heal within a couple hours. Come now," Helios ordered her.

Bella helped Helios into the boat. Helios ignored his piercing injury from a sharp rock that had exploded and shot into his side and reached for the oars. While Bella was untying the rope from the pole Helios examined the oar worriedly. He placed his hand over his injury while trying to hide the excruciating pain. He could already feel his bodies healing abilities getting to work and closing the injury.

There was but one problem. The journey across the ocean would be harsh and draining. They would both have to tap into the spiritual realm of Gaia in order to commune with the waters to help their safe passage. This would take a lot of energy. It was the energy needed to heal his wound. Helios knew all too well the lessons that were taught to all Lantean children.

'Never use the magic of Timaeus and Critias to their fullest unless you wish for death to carry you in its fiery prison."

If Lanteans used too much of that power, used too much energy they could die; especially in such a harsh environment as this. But he had no choice. If he were to die on these waters he would accomplish that she would linger on.

The sails were released and a ferocious wind pushed the boat forward. Bella and Helios both fell over in the boat. The waters were not natural. Never had they witnessed such a dark and mad behavior in its aura.

Bella managed to use the edge of the boat to lift herself up and reach the water with her hand. Helios stretched out his own hand to hers and Bella grabbed for it with her other. They both closed their eyes.

Both were channeling the power that was passed down to them from their ancestors. The legacy that was left behind by Tiamat flowed strongly in their veins. They had to tap into that power to reason with these waves and to secure passage over the sea.

The waves crashed into the underbelly of the boat moving it forward. It was working, slightly. The winds were too corrupted. They could not hope to manipulate the environment around them all together. They had to work with the water for it was their greatest foe now.

The waves carried them deeper and deeper out into the ocean and away from the fiery ruins of their once great metropolis.

Jasper ripped open his eyes. "NO," he screeched. "NO MORE," he begged.

Bella bent down on her knees to look into his sorrowful eyes. She saw her own despairing reflection in their red gaze.

"There is but one memory left. I have no way of knowing what else was passed on to you, except for those that are strongest in my mind. Do this now so later in life you will not weep for something you cannot understand."

Jasper grasped his head painfully. His mind felt like it was on fire and decaying away. His head snapped back as the last of this memory erupted in his thoughts.

The sun threw its warm rays across the calming ocean once, before departing beyond the western horizons. The boat that Bella and Helios had battled the mad ocean with was alive and steadily floating while touching a sandy beach.

Jasper watched the two of them huddled up in the center of the boat. They both appeared to be sleeping peacefully. They both were pale, and weak from the long journey. Helios' wound must have healed since there was no more blood erupting from his body. Suddenly Bella's fingers twitched.

Slowly her eyelids opened revealing her lovely chocolate brown eyes. There were dark circles beneath them showing how tired and drained she was. Her lips were dry and there was a hoarse sigh sounding from her throat. Her hand lay across Helios' chest who was still unconscious. She used his chest to slightly lift herself up to view her surroundings.

Jasper saw the rekindled and light sparkle in her eyes as she saw the tree lines of a jungle. They had hit land, and would be safe. As though it seemed painful Bella managed a crooked grin when she marveled at the solid ground.

Her hand that was on Helios' chest began tapping, and gently shaking it.

"Helios…" Bella whispered low and nearly incoherent. Helios remained still. Bella managed to weakly laugh at the save haven before her.

"Helios… awaken my love…" she whispered turning her head to finally gaze at him. He remained motionless and… stiff. Bella's hand moved to his face slightly patting it, trying to wake him.

"Helios," she managed to say a wee bit louder. Her smile was beginning to fade. Her hand moved to his shoulder and she shook him more violently while remaining in the embrace of his other cold arm.

"Heli-os," her voice broke. Almost angry now she shook and hit his face. She was able to raise her upper body to lean over him.

"We have arrived Helios. The cold sea is beyond us. Please…" she whispered desperately. Helios in turn remained solidified, and empty.

The pain in Jasper's chest became stronger, and pressing his heart tighter together. He felt a break and the shattering of once spirit.

Bella's lips were whimpering as her eyes became glossy and watery. Her face seemed void of emotions, and blank. But one tear mastered its way down her cheek. It jumped off her chin and landed on Helios' face. There was a small thud from above in the second when the first few rain drops began to pour.

Bella's face seemed to want to grimace in agony but somehow it could no longer manage it. It was so weak and torn already. She shook her head from right to left so slowly that she did not even recognize that she was doing it.

"No…" she was able to squeak. The tears were emerging again and flowing over her despairing features.

_Don't say, we have come now to end…_

_White shores are calling…_

Suddenly Jasper cried out in pain as he watched the memory in his mind. He squeezed is head tightly while grinding his teeth in agony. Every moment was nothing shorter than pure anguish for him as he felt Bella's emotions flooding his body.

Bella could no longer breathe correctly and her chest heaved and screamed for air to fill her lungs. She bent down with tears raining from her eyes. Her lips touched Helios' dead and cold ones. Bella's hair graced over his face that could no longer feel the strains tickling it. But for this would be the last kiss they would ever share.

The last remnants of energy left Bella's body and she feel back into her previous position. She laid her head on his chest looking at his lifeless face. She reached over and wrapped his cool arms around her body. She snuggled herself into the memory of her life partner. Her eyes closed shut with tears still flowing and increasing in size and quantity.

"I love you…" she spoke quietly. Her fingers pulled into a fist beneath his chin trapping some of the cloth of his shirt. She breathed in the lingering aroma of his scent before it too would wash away.

_You and I will meet again, and you'll be here in my arms…_

_Just sleeping…_

Bella's lips parted and the sobs were coming more erratically. Her sobs filled the night air.

There was nothing left. Within but one rotation of the earth nature which was always worshipped and adored by the Lantean people destroyed everything that she ever held dear. She could still hear the voice of her son in her head. His laughter and smile that would never see adulthood pierced Bella's heart. He was so tiny, innocent, and had yet to fully experience the beginning of his young life. She would never see him again. His memory would but remain in her yet to all else it would be as if he never even existed.

_Momma… _Bella heard his voice as she crept even closer to Helios' body; clinging herself to him. She remembered his soft and warm skin as she placed kisses all over Calahan's face before he went to sleep. The way he smiled at her, hugged her, and kissed her back seemed like a scorching heat inside her heart now.

_Celest… _Finally she heard _his_ voice. Her sobs were fast now and nearly uncontrollable. Never again would she feel his hands encircling her face. Never again would the first sight of every new day be his countenance smiling at her. The fires of passion, heat, desire, and love were all extinguished.

Hope had forsaken her world only leaving fear in it's terrible wake. The stars were hidden behind a veil of clouds and could not bear to see her shivering form. All but silent were the trees around her and had not one word of comfort to whisper. The world around her was all but crashing leaving nothing but the terrifying and horrific vision of something that would only ever enter humanity's mind as a myth. Even tough her pain was very real.

Jasper sobbed frantically. The pain became unbearable to him. There was but one last vision he had to endure. The last memory Bella revisited before being cursed with immortality.

Bella awoke and the sun shone through the light curtains glistening over her face. She smiled and inhaled the fresh breeze of the morning dew. She sat up in bed stretching her body. The little birds were chirping outside by the window and singing their tunes. A slight warm wind blew over her face and she closed her eyes marveling at it. Two warm arms then surrounded her body pressing her to a bare chest. She smiled laughing quietly, and blissful.

She opened her eyes to see Helios smiling at her. He bent down and kissed her face gently whilst whispering 'good morning' to her. She returned a kiss and embraced his lips. His hands caringly traced up and down her arms and she felt tingles all over her body.

Suddenly from the corner of her eye she saw a small head peering into the room. She laughed and gestured for him to enter. Calahan smiled and laughed out loud and ran to the bed. He hopped on top bouncing and yelping 'the sun is up'; 'the sun is up'. He threw his arms around his parent's necks wanting them to share their embrace with him.

Both Helios and Bella smiled embracing him back and landing kisses on his cheeks while he giggled playfully.

Jasper whimpered and pained at the memory.

And all these little things; the gentle breeze of the wind, the smile of her life partner, and the laughs of her son were all she needed to make her heart soar. All these things were to become nothing but the tales of memories, painful memories that she would harbor for all eternity for they would never share such an embrace again.

_What can you see on the horizons? _

_Why do the white gulls call? _

_Across the sea a pale moon rises._

_The ships have come to carry you home._

_And all will turn to silver glass. _

_A light on the water…_

_All… souls… pass…_

The vision faded and darkness lay before Jaspers closed eyes. When he reopened them to reality he saw the dark ruby and sorrowful eyes of Bella staring right back at him. He marveled at her face still weeping. She was so beautiful he thought. The transformation did not change one single physical feature but the color of her eyes and complexity of her skin.

"I'm s-s-sorry…" Jasper chocked. "I' am so, so, so s-sorry," he cried. Jasper reached forward on the ground and embraced Bella around her waist. She was strong and did not even falter in her pose on the ground as Jasper hugged his arms around her.

She did not seem surprised. Instead of tearing him away from her she embraced him back. She laid her face over his head while Jasper cried into her chest. His entire being vibrated hysterically.

"There is a reason this practice is forbidden my son," she whispered against his head. "All that living things are is whatever they choose to do with the life that was given to them. They all shape their futures and their paths according to their liking.

Yet we who must travel along the road of the icy wastelands of eternity have lost that choice; for we are nothing but ghosts. We are terrible dark reflections of the peoples we once were. Forced to dwindle down an unending road with fear lurking at every corner stalking our desires and to turn them hollow and decadent. We are nothing if not what we have become. We are the paragon of pastlessness. We are an inferior being and nothing but shadows.

We are broken hearts.

And this is what makes this practice forbidden. For the rest of your eternity you must now suffer with not one but two broken hearts upon your shoulders; yours and mine."

Jasper wrapped his arms closer around Bella realizing the seriousness of her action and wished she would have left him to perish.

* * *

Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed. Please do review. I want to get to the big 1000 before this story ends :D!

The plot for the other story I am currently shaping: **Silver Moon** - After the fateful night at Bella's 18th birthday party Edward is forcing himself to leave her behind in order to protect Bella's life. Bella, of course, was crushed and devastated (practically New Moon at this point, somewhat). 41 years after the Cullen's departure they return to Forks. Edward is tormented with the painful memory of Bella's agonized face when he left and wishes he were dead. However, an unseen force that moves in the shadows of the trees followed the Cullen's to Forks. Slowly but surely, one after another falls to this evanescent foe. Their family is torn apart, and in the last moments this terrible enemy reveals its true identity to Edward who is shocked into the next millennia (it's not Bella). Somebody Edward believed could not exist. Something that cannot possibly exist.

The italic text in the last bit of the chapter refers to a song that was suggested to me by my friend Bani. The song is called "Into the West". It is very beautiful and fitting to this story.


	37. Chapter 36

Philosophies Part 2

We are the paragon of pastlessness,  
we are dark reflections of the peoples we once were; hidden in shadow, sorrow, and shame.  
We are It's tormented face filled with streaks of blood and tears,  
we who weep at night and wear our masks of joy during day,  
...we who are forced to bathe in the filth of humanity,  
we represent It's torn crack overgrown with vines that bind us to this despair,  
for redemption and valor have gone beyond our recognition,  
we are the wolves born to howl alone, and sing our ancient melodies of times past,  
we who have no prayers that could bear us hence,  
yet our tale must commence,  
we are Its reflection,  
Us, Broken Hearts.

A cool wind drifted through the naked trees their leaves but gone for the winter to come. A grey and unusual cloud cover hung heavy over the misty territories of Forks. The sweet and fresh smell of a late rain still washed through the soil.

Bella stood on the balcony attached to the back of the grand Cullen mansion. Her eyes were closed as the wind gently waxed her face in its icy breeze. She ran her hand through her light mahogany hair. Her fingers easily pushed through the soft and neat strains. The late afternoon seemed peaceful and relaxed compared to the days passed. Jasper's tears had all but washed away with Bella's presence and promise of good faith. She was able to reassure him and present him with the explanation that so many before Jasper had only yearned to hear from their master's mouth.

Although there seemed to be no woe about during this friendly day Bella more than any other knew this peace would not last much longer. Unintentionally she had set in motion an insignificant, to her, chain of events that could bear a brutal front. She had already seen it on the mirror that never lies. The technology was alien to all those ignorant of its meaning and or design. Humanity had no play in its creation.

While humans followed the dogmatic ways of the church during the Dark Age's vampires continued to study at night. But not all that call themselves immortal participated in these studies. Only those who were bold enough to grasp the concept of technological advancement. Bella laughed quietly. If only all vampires knew what lay beneath the ruins she thought amused. Her laugh seized.

If only all vampires would retake the pilgrimage and or journey to the ruins of a metropolis dead for so many years. Its history all but forgotten by these young immortals, and the name Elysium became the subject of myth, legend, and eventually; nothing.

Bella opened her eyes slowly to gaze over the wet and for the moment green covered forest. Her black lashes leisurley unlocked and unleashed her dark crimson eyes upon the world once more. Eyes that had seen the exploits, victories, failures, courage, and death of so many that called themselves _vampire_. If only all vampires knew their own history. Perhaps then creatures such as Carlisle Cullen would not condemn them so lightly she thought aggravated.

Bella sighed as her features contorted uncomfortably. She knew what lay ahead, and she realized it was her doing. She had regretted stepping foot into their home from the moment she did.

They knew too much she thought. Edward knew too much. But she could no longer bear to be silent. Helios was curious too. But the two weren't the same. Helios rejoined the stream of all things beneath the ground ages ago and though he and Edward were so much alike they weren't the same. Luckily though Edward and the rest of his coven didn't know anything worth the pain of torture that would reveal Bella's true nature and motives, and therefore there was no need to break the bubbles that are their memories.

Little did Edward know he had barely scratched the surface of who and what she was, Bella thought comforted. But perhaps they should know she deliberated. Perhaps this was the event they've been waiting for; the event that would lift the layer of shadow that they had cast over themselves and truly unearth the secrets that were buried so deep within their world. The opportunity to be once again "known" to the rest of their kind was infatuating, and even more so since the chance had not arisen for countless eons.

The dream was lovely and enchanting but the means were complex and troublesome but maybe not?

There was trouble stirring in Seattle. Bella could smell it even now on the winds. It was the smell of revenge. Victoria, Bella thought smiling. She is creating friends. Yet, surprisingly she did not make herself known. Afraid of the Volturi are we Bella thought? The Volturi…

Yet another sore eye that Bella wished to extinguish. She wanted nothing more than to strike down Aro and take back what he possessed that rightfully belonged to Elysium. They had long been bereft of nobility and cause. They were culled for death long ago yet Bella and _the others _allowed them to linger on. There were minor enterprises the Volturi had to pursue in order to create time for Bella and _the others _who were engrossed in more monumental matters. Of course why they absorbed themselves into actions such as maintaining secrecy, banning the creation of young immortals, hunting children of the moon and such were never truly illuminated to them.

Victoria… There was not but one breath in Bella's mind that doubted any other vampire could be responsible for the emergence of more. She saw it on her face. Bella was able to breathe new life into Jasper and make him whole again yet she could not mend James. He was beyond the point of regeneration and had sunk too far into the abyss.

One mistake Bella though, that is all it takes. She noticed on the mirror that never lies that there were already six reported cases of missing persons in Seattle. One step towards destruction had already been achieved. All that was needed now was the final stage of the two step pattern; death!

Burned bodies turned to charcoal without hope of identification and no possible means of extracting the precise way of death. This was the last piece she needed. If Victoria was incoherent enough to leave tracks then Bella would have no need to further dirty her hands. The Volturi could do it for her. But was Victoria dimwitted enough to make that fatal mistake? Bella grinned maliciously, oh yes she was.

Bella's errant and erratic thoughts were interrupted from the sound of a sliding door behind her. The footsteps she heard descending the stairs finally reached her. She folded her hands on the concrete veranda's railing in front of her and rolled her eyes.

Earlier in the day Carlisle had asked the rest of his coven to hunt. An action that was completely unnecessary Bella thought bemused. Edward had left with hesitation but a certain obvious glance from Carlisle made him depart nonetheless. Carlisle would now finally have the opportunity to have the private meeting Bella knew he longed for.

So many others before him had done the same. The only difference between them and the Cullen's were that they forfeited their immortalities as soon as they laid eyes on her. Others however were much luckier. Bella smiled.

Memories are such fragile bubbles aren't they? Even for vampire's they are so easily broken.

She heard Carlisle's approach and prepared herself for what she believed to be another round of self-righteous declarations. She watched the scenery ignoring Carlisle's approach.

Carlisle took in a deep breath of the fresh and cleansed air of the forest along with the delightful aroma of the vampire next to him. He leaned against the railing, mimicking her and tried to be casual.

He had wanted this chance so badly. The opportunity to speak to such an old vampire was remarkable and a once in an eternities' chance. He gave credit to Aro, Marcus, and Caius for being as old as they are but Bella…

Carlisle glanced at her from a side angle observing her stiff posture. Her hair like silk curtains fell gently over her shoulders before rolling up and taking the shape of beautiful brown like shell. Her complexion was so much fairer than his own and was so extreme that it gave her cheeks and almost rosy appeal. Even her physical beauty for a vampire was astounding. It did not surprise him that Edward became smitten with her.

And her eyes told so many stories he thought. When he first saw them all those days ago he did not feel alarmed at the obvious diet they displayed. They were so red and so dark that they appeared rich in compassion. These eyes belonged to someone who had the experience of many millennia, and the eyes of someone who cared.

So why did she swell herself in hostility, brutality, and bitterness he asked himself? Why must such an extravagant and seldom rose have such deadly thorns? What fuels the fires that burn beneath her chest that gives her such hardness? Her actions and words might be of a vampire who will kill mercilessly but her eyes… Her eyes told another tale.

Carlisle saw compassion in them. He saw a radiant glow he had never seen. There were horizons beyond those eyes that promised an affluent sunrise with each new day. But her eyes were also victim of something else, something darker.

There was sadness in them. A piercing sorrow that loosened even her diamond skin and dug beneath the flesh only to reveal something that is hidden. They seemed so far away at times. What was this despair that made them seem so ancient and broken?

He had to be careful when talking with her. She was the kind of woman that could turn any statement into a weapon to be used against him. She was intelligent, wise, and powerful. Yet another attribute Carlisle sensed. She had power, and much of it. What's frightening was that he did not believe she would be afraid to use it.

"It's so beautiful here," Carlisle began. He turned his head completely to his far right and smiled at Bella. She remained stagnant.

"It's one of the main reasons we decided to settle here. The forest, the ocean, and even the cloud covered skies seem so peaceful and in perfect harmony with each other.

The sky and clouds produce rain and the forest absorbs it growing with life. The ocean welcomes the rain drops to ignite their passion of throwing their titanic waves. Nature is in bliss here. Even for creatures such as us it made room in its circle. It provides shelter from the sun. It grows life for our needs. It is though the forest here was grown for us."

Carlisle watched Bella closely smiling at her. He hoped to reach her on some level buried deep within. Or perhaps establish common grounds.

Bella rotated her head finally towards him, her expression was weary and yet blank.

"It rains because the sky weeps over your presence. The forest grows to hide its treasures from you. The oceans roar and throw their waves in anger because its liquid arms cannot reach to crush you.

Do not pretend you know anything of Mother Nature. You have never heard the trees speak. You have never listened to the song of the wind. You cannot comprehend all the knowledge around you.

Do not speak for the forest. For all you will do is anger it."

Bella turned her head back to the green she had just defended. Carlisle's smile fainted. He traced his lower lip with his tongue breathing in deeply. Already off on the wrong foot he thought despairing.

"For someone who holds nature and life to such high esteem I feel and have experienced that you have no lingering thoughts when it comes to eradicating said life."

Bella coughed a laugh shaking her head, and rolling her eyes.

"I would expect such empty words from you."

Carlisle's eyebrows rose surprised. "Empty words?" His words had been anything but empty he believed. It was curiosity and the need to understand that drove him. How can such a creature that values life above anything else yet destroys it with a snip of her finger exist?

"You disappoint me Carlisle, and even more so than you have before. I would imagine a spiritual man such as you would believe in a life after the bitter taste of mortality."

"Should I?" Carlisle inquired.

"You do as you please. And perhaps in the future you could allow your children to make their own decisions instead of making them follow your lead?"

Carlisle's smile fainted. "Pardon me?" A dark crooked grin spread over Bella's white face.

"Perhaps it is time you let them go so they may journey on their own. You have trapped them in your cage for so long and forced them to live their lives as mortals do.

Then, should they make an error you expect them to confront and apologize to you?"

Carlisle kept a steady face. His eyes lingered on her and tried to confuse the anger that had been attempting to attack her.

"You speak of me as if though I am the angel of death. That I do not cherish life and annihilate it but then again you are no stranger to destroying life's aren't' you?"

Carlisle's eyes shut, and he shook his head. "Please, specify?" His annoyance only gave more energy to Bella's grin.

"Edward, Esme, Rosalie, and Emmett are all the names of the people whose life you have ruined. Edward was meant to die in that hospital in 1918 but out of selfishness for a companion you turned him.

Esme lost her son and wished to end the misery of life and move on to different seas. But you wouldn't let her, you found her, and brought her back.

Because you believed Rosalie's beauty was so unique and you would grief over her passing you gave her the dark gift too. Once more, against her will.

And poor Emmett never had a chance. If you had never given Rosalie this life she would have never found him, you would not have turned him, and Emmett would have met his match in the bear.

All these creatures were once mortal, but they have one more factor in common. You turned them against their will to form the dead family that you now possess. Just look at them Carlisle. Do you honestly believe that they enjoy the life that you have made for them? Do you think they appreciate to be young forever? Do you think they are content with their present state?"

Bella turned her head finally and looked at Carlisle straight on. His eyes had reemerged sometime ago and stared her down. Bella blinked surprised. She had believed to see flames of anger burning in Carlisle's golden eyes but instead she found a soft peace.

"I know," Carlisle whispered. Bella's brows rose. "You know what Carlisle?"

"I know that I never gave them the choice but…"

"Which makes you no better than any other vampire upon this Earth that has ever created a dark offspring. For no vampires that now wander ever received the choice."

Carlisle nodded agreeing. "It was insidious. But it was a different time then even for vampire standards. And I thought they were so young and precious and if I could somehow restore their bodies and give life back to them then I should. I never thought that…"

"… that you would be confronted with someone like me that would question your faulty decisions. Blah, blah, blah…" Bella finished for Carlisle and then some. She put her hand on her hips, her eyes tiresome and bored.

"I have heard these same declarations for thousands of years. Can you immortals never conjure anything new?"

Carlisle smiled. "I suppose you have heard it all, and done it all, seen it all."

Carlisle leaned against the railing with his back breathing in a fresh whip of air, deeply.

"I know that they are not happy. I see it almost every day."

Bella folded her arms over her chest preparing. Her eyelids seemed to be falling shut but she managed to keep them active.

"Esme has made due with Alice, Jasper, Edward, Rosalie and Emmett for her lost child. But Rosalie hasn't. It was the one thing she always craved, to have a family but I took that away from her. But then again it was those thugs that did.

Emmett doesn't seem to care that much. Then again, it is hard to know what he is feeling half the time. Sometimes it appears that he does enjoy this life; the vitality, strength, and speed.

Alice and Jasper both had different beginnings than the others so it's difficult to determine how they manage these lives. I think they're happy. Alice has virtually no memory of her days as a human. She can't remember and therefore can't regret or miss anything. Jasper's start was rough. A newborn general in the south he was, and that for decades.

But once he tore himself away from that crude way of life and found Alice things began to flow much more smoothly for him. Of course at times our diet seems stressing for him but he has done a lot better over the past fifty years."

Carlisle sighed and inhaled another fresh cool brush of air, allowing it to fill him. It was cleansing. He felt at ease strangely enough. Though there were so many pages yet to be read about Bella, he felt a certain sense of relieve and openness with her. He could stand here on this veranda and tell her anything for hours he thought.

Carlisle turned to Bella and crossed his brows confused. Bella was leaning against the railing with her thumb nail digging beneath the nail of her middle finger. She was picking at it agitatedly with her lips pursed and eyebrows pushed together.

"Gotcha," she whispered. Carlisle saw a small piece of dirt or maybe lint being extracted from her finger before she flicked it of the veranda. Her eyes returned to Carlisle's, they met. She blinked and looked at him up and down.

"Did you say something? Sorry, wasn't paying attention."

Carlisle groaned and laughed. He lifted both his hands in the air and shrugged his shoulders before letting them fall back to his sides. His mind screamed loudly, _NEVER MIND!_

"What of you?" Bella asked. Carlisle smiled surprised. So she was listening, he thought pleased.

"What of me?" He asked.

"Do you feel a sense of serenity in the life you have established for yourself?"

Before Carlisle could answer Bella intervened.

"You know I once lived the way you do. I once fed on anything and everything that was not human. But then I began to question the accuracy of my own actions. Why not extinguish the excruciating heat in my throat and satisfy the demon within? What has humanity proven to you that would urge you to place them on such a high pedestal?"

Carlisle looked back out over the scenery, deliberating and organizing his thoughts. A mundane response wouldn't be appropriate he thought.

He sighed. "Because it's not right." He watched Bella's eyebrows raise and an amused smile crossing over her marble face.

"Do elaborate would you?" Bella crossed her arms over her chest awaiting his reply.

"I could not live with myself knowing that I left a child motherless or fatherless. I couldn't bear taking anyone away from anything. For the life of me I could not imagine the horror and fear on the face of the victim I am about to drain of life, leaving them void and empty.

The others when they were still taking their very first steps in this life unfortunately were subject to moments of weakness. Their mere recollection of what it felt like gave me shivers.

Life is so precious and fragile. I believe that everyone only ever has one chance at life and pilfering that very chance seems devilish. Life is full of lush experiences for everyone to greet and enjoy. And taking away those very experiences and demolishing their life's…"

Carlisle felt his answer was just and worthy of him. His belief's had always been concrete. He would never break the oath of stealing a life that wasn't his; especially the life of a human whom he still believed were beautiful.

"That's all?" Bella challenged.

Carlisle felt repulsed. "What do you mean, that's all?"

Bella shook her head disappointed. "Carlisle, vampires are a part of the symbiotic cycle of life and death on Earth. Humans have spent a great deal of time warring with each other and murdering one another. They are drowning in their sorrow and wish for sleep eternal. The enlightened view of the dead, us, would be more favorable to them then their own misguidances.

Why wallow in grief and despair? Learn the lessons of the damned and shed yourself of these sympathetic feelings. If you are unable to learn to let go of regret then how will you ever live forever?

Regret is the very emotion that keeps you away from true immortality. The very essence of the vampire depends on the riddance of that fiend. Is this how you will spend your eternity? Always wondering, moving about, keeping the secret, and bathing in your own doubts?

I would never dream of conveying you away from your chosen life. However, understand that we are not what you make us to be. The very image in your mind of vampires is absolutely false. There is a peace that lies far into the east, and a communion with nature and all living things of which's surface you have never scratched.

Rid yourself of your eyes whom are still lingering with the dimming light of a life you once new centuries past. For once, see the world with your vampire eyes."

Carlisle was at a loss for words. He stared at Bella intently. He sensed and saw the caring emotions in her red eyes. Those red eyes were so different from all the others. There was fierceness in them, and strength but also the unbreakable will that has endured for countless eons. But also love, calamity, and… peace with one's self.

"As I have said before Carlisle, YOU…ARE…A…KILLER! And in these early stages of life, only when you murder will you find true peace. This dear friend is the price to pay for immortality, and the eternity that follows. Life must be sacrificed for life, but a life that never fades.

The night holds no sway over you. When you awakened to his reign, you were born to darkness. You must travel through this dreaded nightmare and illuminate your own shadow to find the will to continue on and seek the purpose of your own existence. Believe me. There is good in our black little hearts that could blurr the warmth of the sun. But you have to first rid yourself of humanity and all your fears, and become one with wisdom and courage to find the crystal path to the white shores. The life that follows, you could never imagine in your wildest dreams."

Bella leaned off the railing and began walking back towards the glass screen doors. She gave Carlisle one last pitiful look before breaking the eye contact. Carlisle's lips fluttered. A million thoughts were racing through his mind. Then his brain flashed and he felt like he was back.

"But what if I don't want it?" Bella stopped in her pace. "What if this life isn't for me? What if I get there and I find it's nothing that I ever wanted? What if it still leaves me… empty?"

Bella turned back around. She looked to the ground shaking her head slowly. There was silence between the two. The atmosphere was motionless. A creepy stillness moved in.

Carlisle didn't know what to expect. He watched her with hope in his mind that she could provide an answer for this question too.

Suddenly from beneath her long dark lashes her eyes popped back at Carlisle. Carlisle's chocked on his breath and felt the venom in his veins boiling with anticipation.

"Can you keep a secret?" Bella whispered.

Carlisle squinted his eyes confused.

Suddenly he felt a strong breeze flowing through his body. He heard the trees rustling behind him, vigorously. He could hear the clouds up ahead moving much faster than before. The leaves beneath and by his feet seemed to flee and fly away with the wind currents. There were several quickened paces he could hear from behind of animals like deer, and insects running. He heard the flapping of wings, of birds, pushing through the tree crowns and hastily flying away.

What is going on he thought nervously?

Suddenly, it all stopped. It was silent.

Bella smiled.

Carlisle watched in awe as her hands began to glow in a white light. Her entire face began to shine like the moon. Through the fabric of her clothes the light was peering through and trying to blind him. The light encircled her entire form. It grew so intense that he could no longer see her face but only the light.

He watched astounded as Bella's clothes, her coat, pants, and other garments suddenly feel to the ground.

His breath became trapped in his throat when white tentacles spawned from a great white orb that levitated in front of him. It rose slightly higher above the ground. It radiated with light and colors of sliver and white, and touched the background all around him.

One of the rays of light touched his chest and abruptly he felt a warmth like he never had. The heat was indescribable, and he air moved through his lungs again. He felt his entire body filling with zeal, like a new candle of life had been lit inside of him. The most extreme temperature was beneath his chest and where his heart was.

He watched frozen in his place as one of the white and glowing tentacles moved towards him. It took shape and faded into a glimmering silver hand that touched his face.

"_Beyond the stars horizons wait…," _he heard a voice echoing in his head.

The hand left his cheek and already he felt cold and sorrowful. It was like an addiction, the ardor and all the feelings that followed. It was peace Carlisle thought.

The light started to dim. The rays of light began to fade and returned to the magnificent orb. It descended back to the ground. The many tentacles grew shorter and smaller until they were part of the entirety again.

Suddenly the light took shape. Bella's clothes seemed to have a mind of their own as they picked themselves up off the ground and dressed the white body in front of him.

The light then, was gone. As quickly as it appeared it had dissipated.

Bella opened her eyes, and the smile still lingered on her lips.

"No one does not want this, and no one has ever been disappointed, and no one has ever regretted this path. And as you can see, there is much more to vampires that a pair of fangs."

Bella left the dumbfounded Carlisle in his wake, and on his knees.

Was it real? Carlisle thought.

"You are not a vampire…" Carlisle whispered with much effort.

"You are… you are…" he could not find the words to describe the event that had just transpired before his eyes. Before this he felt, he had never used his eyes to gaze upon anything fully and truly. Carlisle's thoughts couldn't stop rushing and hurrying through him.

"That's why you don't have to feed…that's why it's an option to you and not a necessity," he rambled.

"You are a true immortal."

Bella closed the door behind her. Were her actions not a betrayal she cogitated? She sat down on the bed in the room given to her and blinked her eyes once before all the candles in the room were lit.

It wasn't wrong she convinced herself. Perhaps now he would see that really there is something waiting towards the end of the road that is worth fighting for.

Bella fell back on the bed and stared at the ceiling. Her earlier thoughts returned to her…

_Beep… Beep…. Beep…_

Her thoughts were interrupted from a sudden noise from her coat. She reached inside and retrieved her mirror. She sat up on the bed and watched as files suddenly began flooding the screen.

The language was in Vamerrian.

_Situation: Sudden increase in newborn activity. Nine newborns arrived over the course of the past two weeks. _

_Location: Seattle, Washington, the United States. _

_Lord: Apotamkin._

_Status: Informed._

_Action taken: Volturi informed! _

_Status of Volturi: Will depart in two days. _

_Members dispatched: Jane. Alec. Demetri. Chelsea. Corin. Caius. Aro._

_Additional information: Unknown reason for coming of Aro and Caius. Suspect personal vendetta. _

_Suggestion: EVACUATE AREA TO PREVENT DETECTION! ERADICATE ANY EVIDENCE TO EXPOSE EXISTENCE! _

The mirror fell through Bella's hand and touched the ground. It spiraled there for a few seconds and eventually fell flat.

So she was too slow… She should have acted before and sooner!

"Edward…" Bella whispered.

"Eradicate…"

**(AUTHORS NOTE)** – Alright I do believe you are all entitled to give me hell. But hey, at least I did not abandon anything right? So I scored those points ;)! Anyway, I do apologize for the very long wait but sometimes life holds you up and then there is that whole writers block issue. I hope you enjoy the chapter and the continuation of the story. I will do my very best to keep posting and update as soon as possible. Please enjoy, and don't forget to REVIEW and share your opinions. The good and the bad, I take it all like a beast. And to those I can't reply to personally, sky, belieber, befearlessandspeaknow, meep, smile, reiko hanako, nickie, Me Gusta, TEAMEDWARD, etc, thats for the reviews.


	38. Chapter 37

Edward's Tragedy

(Edward's POV)

For once I felt overfilled with blood in my system. The feeding of the prior days combined with the bounty from yesterday felt unnatural. My body swam in the fluids of the life stock we consumed and felt abundantly content. Though still my throat poked at me with an unsatisfied blemish, and made me feel grumpy. One would think after nearly a century of walking in this life I would have gotten used to that bothersome compulsion.

Where is Bella I thought excitedly walking down the stairs? I hadn't seen her in hours since I returned. When we came back Carlisle greeted us with a blank mind. This was quite peculiar. The others didn't seem to notice any differences but my telepathy picked up on his silent mind quickly. I was curious to learn what he had. Undoubtedly he had the conversation with Bella that he has been wanting. Luckily when we came back no one was hurt or burned to charcoal so it must have gone smooth and mellow.

After he had asked about the hunt and any considerable prey we might have gotten he decided to retire to his study. I had not heard from him since. His mind was erratic and full of dark spots shadowing and blanking out his thoughts. Just like yesterday, now too I could hear the scribbling of his pen on some piece of parchment. I wondered what he was recording. It must have been monumental whatever he and Bella disputed. If it had anything to do with her at all I assumed. Now where could that heavenly angel be…?

I strode through the living room and caught a glimpse of Emmett and Jasper holding a small chess competition between the two of them. About six chess boards had been assembled and fused into one great one with almost three of each figurine; bishop, knight, queen, and only the king was labeled with solitary confinement. The rules they created for these games were on the very verge of inconceivable. I don't even think that after all these year I even knew all the rules.

I tapped Emmett on his shoulder interrupting his concentration.

"WHAT?" He bellowed. I put up my hands in defense. He gave me a quick and aggravated look before turning back to the game.

"Have you seen Bella?"

Emmett swung his head towards the back door and yelled "YONDER", and moved his knight to close in on Jasper's queen.

"Uhh…" I taunted Emmett. He looked over his shoulder at me within a flash of a second and back at the board, back at me, at the board, and yet again back at me.

"WHAT?" he pronounced. Jasper smiled wickedly.

"Bishop takes night," Jasper grinned and collected Emmett's knight as his own.

Emmett threw his hands in the air unbelieving, "MOTHER HUMPER!". His furious grimace turned back to me.

"YOU ALWAYS DO THIS! JUST WHEN I THINK I'M WINNING YOU MESS ME UP!" Emmett screeched. I walked on by him tapping his shoulder encouragingly.

"Of course I do, your agony sustains me," I laughed. Jasper joined in my laugh and we both brought Emmett to a brand new boiling point. Emmett unleashed several more profanities at me, Jasper, and the inanimate object on the board; somehow it was their fault of course.

I headed for the screen door overlooking the vast green jungle that was our back yard and spotted Alice sitting in a love chair starring out the window. She had her legs curled up to her chest and hands tightly encircling her petit form.

"Who's going to claim victory this time?" I asked bemused. Alice chocked a small giggle.

_Jasper! _She whispered the answer mentally to me. Good I thought. He hadn't won in long while; then again they hadn't had the urge to play in a great period of time.

_When Jasper takes the goal, I suggest you wear a helmet. Pearl Harbor will seem like child's play in comparison. _

"Ahh," I muttered quietly. My mind was already envisioning a vividly detailed image of what that was going to be like. It might cause some amusement for Bella too.

I swiftly walked through the screen door, closing it behind me. I looked over the greenery seeking that enchanting woman that had lain an anchor in my heart. Somehow the forest seemed livelier today too. The clouds looked rich and full, like sweet cotton candy. I jumped over the railing and landing gently on my feet. The stir my jump caused whipped a small breeze up my nose. I closed my eyes and smiled as her taste danced on my tongue. How sweet and delectable that scent was. An endless ocean it was, swimming with incredible scents of freesia's, lavender, and that strange aroma of brimstone that added a mysterious essence to her already incredible perfume.

I jogged down the yard still searching the trees for Bella's image. I furrowed my brows when I didn't detect her right away. I followed her scent down the landscape. I touched the river and leaped in one easy bound across its length. I narrowed my eyes and broke through the closeness of the timber.

"Hmm…" Where was she? I raced hastily through the trees and deeper into the woody abyss. The longer I ran the more I began to deliberate what she was doing so deep in the wilderness anyway. I was looking forward to her welcoming smile once I returned but found no trace of its lingering glow.

I had to zigzag and spring over broken branches and thick trunks in pursuit of her scent.

The aroma though, at least, grew stronger. It took several more seconds of my quickening speed before from a distance I saw her angelic form in the midst of the trees.

And already I felt a sense of serenity within me. Her mere presence made my cold heart heat up with exotic emotions that were as of it yet still unbeknownst to me. But I would cherish the glory of becoming one with those alluring feelings.

I felt like I was running towards some grand goal that I'd been running to for near a century. Perhaps some sort of enchanting gift that you can only find in fairytales, and I began to wonder, was this all some sort of fable? Bella would properly fit the description of some fair maiden in need of rescue. Although our roles were reversed, and in our fairytale the princess did not sit around waiting to be rescued; instead the princess saved the prince. And the princess was more beautiful than the starry stars themselves, and for she was fairer than the most noble of all royalty. She was the most magnificent in all the land and worshipped not like a queen or an empress but a goddess.

I slowed my run to a casual pace as I approached her. She didn't turn. Maybe she was engulfed in thought like she always seemed to be. Without hesitance I put my hand on her shoulder. Her cold skin was so familiar now that it burned on my hand. It felt like home.

"Bella," I whispered. I stepped around her and glanced at her serious countenance. I blinked unsurprised. This was the most macabre and often seen vision on her face, and I must have erected some immunity to its effects; it didn't bother me anymore.

I reached over with my lips and placed a soft kiss on her temple. I looked back and didn't get a reaction. So I reached over again and kissed her white cheek, gently. This time though my brows furrowed confused. She stood still as a statue that you'd see in some Roman temple and didn't deviate an inch.

I carefully shook her shoulder, and called her name. "Bella?" I looked deeply into her crimson eyes and found them glassy and… far away. I looked into the direction Bella was starring in but couldn't see anything behind the grassy giants in front of us. This wouldn't be the first time she acted like this. I didn't like this type of behavior though. Her mind was completely closed to me and not a whim escaped her ancient thoughts.

Suddenly she blinked. I gasped quietly as her long lashes touched her cheek bones and reopened her eyes ever so gracefully. She turned her head to me. She blinked again, surprised. "Oh," she breathed when she saw me. It wasn't the reaction I hoped for. But at least she was back with me.

"What were you doing?" I asked her curiously. Her expression didn't change. Her big red eyes lay on me, shaking. She shook her head quickly and tore her eyes away from me. My hand slid from her shoulder and down her back.

"Is there something wrong?" Now true worry was present in my voice. She acted much like she did during our first encounters. There was a black shadow, dusty like, beneath her eyes. My other arm reached around her now, and I embraced her. I rested my faced up against her head.

"You know whatever is bothering you, you can tell me." Bella remained motionless in my arms. "I'm only here trying to hel.."

"Enough already," Bella said. Bella's hand touched my chest and she pushed me away from her. My arms only angrily unlocked from around her. I tripped backwards hurt. What's wrong I thought desperately?

"What's wrong with you?" I asked headstrong.

Bella sighed annoyed. "You were born weren't you?" I blinked surprised.

"What?" Did my ears just play some horrible trick on me? Bella shook her head and waved her hand at me, dismissing whatever she had just said. My mind couldn't wrap itself around this scenario. What was being played here? Why all of a sudden did she fall back into her previous habits? Did she ever truly strip herself of them in the first place I questioned myself?

"Tell me something Edward," Bella began. "What did you think was going to occur between the two of us? Truly?"

Where did this question come from? At once my entire being tensed up uncomfortably. My mind began reeling in thousands of different situation I'd rather be in at the moment. There were so many different directions I'd want to be running to right now yet the only prudent one was right here before me. Why was she asking me this? I can't predict the future, that's Alice's branch.

"W-What?" I asked confused.

Bella pursed her lips while her head fell lazily to her side. "I have absolutely no speech impediment that I can currently think of."

There was a sharp edge in her tone. It cut at me repeatedly. For the very life of me I couldn't think of an answer.

Bella snorted a silent laugh. "Allow me to venture a guess. You imagined a bright and prosperous fairytale?" I fell silent, my mind went blank. "You believed, hoped that I would station myself here on a permanent basis?"

Bella shook her disgusted. "What were you thinking Edward? Why would I choose to become one of you? A Cullen? Commit myself to your diet were there need for me to feed? Attend school with you and be drowned in an endless amount of information that I stood by and actually bare witnessed centuries and millennium's ago? And here I always thought you were so much more intelligent than that." Bella folded her arms over her chest.

Her words struck me like ice picks. I began to shiver. I felt cold. Had someone opened the gates of hell and all the evil was unleashed upon an unsuspecting world?

"Why are you saying this?" I chocked.

Bella shrugged her shoulders emotionless. "An inquiring mind wants to know."

I had never given much thought to the future. I had not even begun to envision where I would see myself ten years from now. I hadn't dreamed of what I would be doing or why. All I hoped for was that she would be there with me. But… What would life have brought for us? Was I hoping that she were to stay with me? Had I planned to go with her? Did I foreshadow this?

"Edward…" Bella's voice tried to break my mental arguments with myself. It failed.

What was I thinking, really? But this was all so rushed. Why did I sense that time seemed to be of the essence here? The future was blank. What was I THINKING? I fought with myself back and forth. What did I imagine was going to happen? Did I secretly pray that she would stay with me, here, forever?

"What is the point in this life you lead here?" My eyes broke through the clouds of my own thoughts and were once again heavily on her.

"How have you spent your eternity so far? What has been the point to your existence? You all have become so obsolete. You live without a purpose. I cannot see any favoritism in the life you have chosen for yourself."

I swallowed the venom that had built up in my mouth. "We do have a purpose."

Bella raised her eyebrows. "We chose to do the best what we could with the life and time given to us. We choose to preserve human life. We chose to hinder the demons within us and lock them far away so they can never tempt us.

Carlisle never once forced any of us to follow the life style he had made for himself. He gave us all the choice and the free will to decide for ourselves. And in the beginning I didn't choose that life. I fed on the monsters that preyed on the innocent until I realized that I was not the one to judge their fate. I returned to Carlisle and saw the goodness in his ways and fully committed myself to his life. It was my choice, and I never regretted it for even one moment."

Bella grinned maliciously. "Like I said, obsolete!"

I opened my mouth to respond but Bella raised her hand, silencing me.

"Edward, I am nomadic. I prefer traveling from place to place never staying too long. The only reason why I came this far into the western hemisphere was because of the Moriatus. If it hadn't been for that abominable creature we would have never met!"

I took a step closer to her. "But what about… Bella…" I breathed profoundly. "But Bella what about us?"

"What about it?" She asked coldly. I blinked looking away. I couldn't look at her face. It pained me to look at her beautiful face because it appeared grotesque. What was happening to my fairytale? Why was it turning dark and evil? What happened to the beautiful princess?

Was the princess in reality the wicked witch?

"How do you yanks put it?" she asked. "Ah yes, a moments pleasure, a fling."

"HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT?" I screamed at her. My lips began to quiver. I felt the sensation of a sob building and I held it at bay for now but soon it would spread its wings and fly.

Bella lowered her shaking head to the ground and approached me, creeping closer.

"Now you listen to me," her eyes were intense with a devilish heat. "I am an ancient. You are practically a newborn.."

"I AM NOT!" I stood up for myself. Bella snickered at me.

"You're a fetus." My eyes flickered appalled.

"As I was saying," she continued, "I am an ancient. Unlike others that roam this Earth I have responsibilities to uphold. I am an enigma. I am known to nothing and no one. I do not interact with anybody. Interacting with you was a mistake". I gasped horrified.

"You and I live in different dimensions Edward. I could never be part of your world. You could never be part of me. You have absolutely no idea of whom or what I am. You could not handle the things that I have committed against vampire, man, and gods. You would only stand in my way; you would be a weakness to me. Besides, our little affair was fun while it lasted but… Edward it's time to awaken from this dream and return to the harsh reality of our existences."

"Nothing you could have done in the past could sway me away from you."

I couldn't believe this was happening. I don't care what she did in the past. The past was the past and written in stone and can't be unmade. Please oh please, tell me this was some hideous day dream. This could not be happening to me. Please…

"Really?" Bella challenged. I shook my head vigorously, holding back the dry tears.

"What if I told you that long ago there was a Moriatus outbreak in the new world?"

Why was she bringing this up? What did it have to do with anything?

Bella grinned. "You see Moriatus are very selective of whom they choose as their hosts. The human hosts must be of perfect health in order for their young ones to be born correctly. If a human was infected with something like Diabetes, Cancer, or any other health issue the Moriatus embryo and human would die together. Their young ones would be still born."

"So?" I asked.

"They discovered the new world over 100 years ago. They believed it would be perfect to rebuild their legions here hence the vampire population being little to none in the United States. But we foiled their plans." While she spoke, Bella's smile became atrocious.

"Why are you telling me this," I asked sorrowful.

With her hands Bella reached out and touched the top of my shoulders. She forced my body to lower itself to her height. Her wavy hair brushed up against my cheeks while her lips found their way to my ear. She whispered.

"I am responsible for the death of your mother and father. It was I that initiated the Spanish Influenza."

Bella let go of me and stepped back into the shadows. My shocked and perturbed face must have been amusing to her, hence the smile.

"The virus was perfect. We did not even have to lift a finger. We could weed them out and make them abandon their crusade. They had no choice but to return to the old world heavily populated by us."

I closed my eyes shaking my head. The sob I had so valiantly held back broke through. "NO, NO! YOU'RE LYING!"

"Am I?" Bella asked. I looked to the ground, weeping. THIS COULDN'T BE TRUE! There was no way she could be responsible! It was a bold faced lie! If so, then she was the reason why I became a vampire in the first place!

"We are all connected aren't we?" I looked up horrified. She grinned evilly. "If it hadn't been for the flu you would have lived out your days as a pathetic mortal. In a way, I am you creator."

"NO! SHUT UP I DON'T BELIEVE YOU. YOU'RE A LYING SAU!" I couldn't believe it. I wouldn't believe it. I always knew she was capable of horrible things but this? KILLING SO MANY? NO!

"I had a little bird, its name was Enza. I opened the window, and in-flu-enza."

"NO STOP IT," I screamed at the top of my lungs.

I heard footsteps coming towards me. My head screamed STAY AWAY but they came nonetheless. I fell to the ground with my knees and buried my ears with my hands. No more I thought, no more. SHE WAS LYING.

I felt her hand on my shoulder and her lips next to my hand covering my ear. PLEASE… I pleaded mentally.

"I was responsible for the slaughtering of the Knights Templar too." I jumped off the ground and ruptured myself away from her.

"I SAID STOP IT," and I pointed my finger at her. She knelt on the ground where I had been, grinning still.

"Believe me Edward, these crimes are merely the foot of a very tall mountain."

"Why are you doing this?" I cried. Bella stood up again, her features surprised. "Ah," she said. "So you do believe me?"

Did I? Somewhere on an unconscious level did I believe her? But my parents, my turning into a vampire, was it all because of her? Was she the trickster that had orchestrated my fall into darkness?

"It's time Edward." I cried my dry tears of betrayal as she spoke.

"Time for what?" I asked though I knew the answer she was about to present.

"Time to go…" And then the final piece of this puzzle was lost. Like a mirror I felt my heart shattering into a thousand pieces. There was but one small piece left to me.

"I'll go with you." Bella's eyes grew dark then. The dark shades of dust grew stronger beneath her eyes. Her eyes… Her eyes suddenly became dark and fierce like they had been when we first met. I saw the warmth leaving them, the care, the nourishment was relinquished.

"I don't want you to come with me."

And so the last piece of my heart dispersed into a million tears.

"Where I am going you cannot come for the likes of you are not welcome there."

My body felt like mush, like every bone had been broken.

I heard a low grumble in the sky. I felt a small droplet of water on my hand. Then there were more, pouring down on me. They were trying to drown me, and make my heart heave for air… The rain poured so strong. They felt like cannonballs against my skin bombarding me. They were trying to make my greatest tragedy even worse.

"It was all nothing then… was it? The passion, the searing heat, the warmth and delicate fragrance of love that flowed between us was all nothing to you?"

I looked up and found Bella standing above me like some tyrant over her fallen adversary.

"The dream is over Edward. Heat turns to cold, passion to calm, and love to hate."

My head fell for I had no energy left in me. The very life that she returned to me she stole again. What was there left now? But it made sense didn't it? A woman so beautiful, mysterious, and grandiose could never have been meant for me. So should I accept this?

"I am trapped." My brows pushed together when I heard her speak. There was a certain sense of serenity back in her voice, and despair. "We are trapped. We cannot get out."

"We cannot get out…"

I managed to fill my lungs with air to speak. "What?"

"I must be as I have always been; alone and anonymous. There can be no sunrise for me. I cannot afford a weakened state. I cannot fulfill my desires. Fate has spoken and intertwined me in its grand design. You cannot be part of that. You are nothing and no one to me. You were merely a moment's pleasure.

I have to return and retake my place." The lightning finally came and broke through the dark clouds. The winds blew the drops of rain down on us like a waterfall.

Bella turned her back to my crippled state. She had destroyed me.

"I am Celest Alathielle, the vampire lord of Europe; as I have always been. The old world is my home. The old world is what I guard. But I cannot guard the unrequited fervor of the heart."

Vampire lord of… What did she mean? Why can't she return my feelings? She once did but why break those ties now?

"I cannot get out…"

"Why..?" I asked. She had said this several times. Why woul… Ahh… I couldn't think anymore. I couldn't identify anymore… The sobs, the dry tears, the rain… was this my end. The pain in my chest was unbearable so why did I bear it? Why Bella?

"Edward, take care of yourself and remember everything I said to you. It might be useful to you one day. Till then…"

Bella turned around and put her index and middle finger bound together to her head and waved at me. She started to walk away.

"NO! BELLA, BELLA. BELLAAA!" Unintentionally a growl flared up in my throat.

"CELEST!" She stopped.

"You can't go. You can't end it like this. Whether you like it or not you have emotional ties here now! You can't just leave like this! BELLA I NEED YOU NOW! WHY ARE YOU RUSHING ALL OF THIS?"

She didn't turn around. This was the moment; this is where it all came down. If she didn't turn around and left now then everything was in vain. But if she turned around just once, then hope prevailed.

"Look at me…" I whispered from my position on the ground. I wept, my eyes squeezed together and opened again painfully.

"LOOK AT ME," I shouted. "Please…" The ferocious lightning illuminated our dark scene. There was noise from all around me but I ignored the howling of the wind, the rustling of the leaves, the creaking of the trees and everything else.

"There are more important things than you," Bella said hurting me more. I dismissed it. I didn't care for words anymore. I needed to see her face. I needed to see the emotions embedded there. I wanted to see that there was something left of me there.

"Look at me… I'm begging you…"

Promptly, Bella turned her head over her shoulder. Just as I thought that hope had been relit, fear moved through my veins, and pushed itself all the way through my body mercilessly. Her face was scarce except for the diabolical edge around her eyes. Her eyes had gone back to what they used to be and were expressionless. She wasn't who I remembered. She was a vampire.

"Look at you, on your knees, begging. You could never be my champion. You are pathetic."

She closed her eyes and looked away from me, her hair swam in the sea of rain that washed down on us. She walked towards the trees. My head began shaking on its own.

"No… no…" Suddenly I had a flashback of Port Angeles. The way she disappeared that night, it was like a ghost. Now in this very moment, like Port Angeles, her form became translucent before it disappeared.

"NOOO," I bellowed. Life rushed through me and I broke away from the ground and was on my feet running again.

I didn't bother going around the trees. I trashed right through them. Her scent was still on the ground. I ran, I ran like I never did before. I COULDN'T LET HER GET AWAY! She couldn't leave me like this. She couldn't go. I wouldn't allow it. It was selfish but I didn't care. I wanted to make her mine. I wanted to make her happy. I wanted her to stay with me.

The rain, the damn rain! I threw myself on the ground and smelled it. The water was carrying her scent in all directions. But there was still one line going strong. I zigzagged around the forest as fast as I could. I reached a small clearing with a deer in my way. I flew my arm at it and smashed its body in half to get it out of my way. The blood that spilled from the animal held no sweet nectar for my nose.

I pushed my feet through the mud ignoring the obstacles in front of me. I pushed my fist through trees, broken branches, and EVERYTHING! I left a noticeable path in my wake. So let them follow me. This was a blessed path because it would lead to her. WOULDN'T IT?

The memories of our times together swam in my mind. I saw her smile, her open and sparkling eyes. I remembered my fall into her mind. I remembered Callahan. I recalled her frail form standing on that plateau looking out over the ocean. Her eyes, they were so sad there, so alone and miserable. I reached out to her and she reached out to me, her smile then was beaming to see me.

That cannot have been for nothing. SHE WAS LYING! The Spanish Influenza, Moriatus, Knights Templar, death, and slaughtering so many, THEY WERE ALL LIES!

My mind filled with brief excitement as her scent grew stronger. YES, YES I WAS CATCHING UP I thought. As ridiculous as that might sound but maybe, just maybe she was beyond these trees somewhere; waiting.

I catapulted myself through the last defense of the green and reached another clearing. I stopped.

What I saw horrified me. I sniffed so hard I could smell things from miles away, gasoline, sawdust, paper, cloths… But then…

"No…" I cried. Her scent… it ended here? With my hand I reached out into the air and brought it to my nose. Nothing! I couldn't have lost her… how?

I fell to my knees again. My hands were balled up in fists as I wept helplessly. I looked at the sky with a hatred this world had never witnessed.

"GOD DAMN YOU!" I screeched. The rain drops fell on my face and into my eyes, and slithered down my cheek like wet tears.

The mansion… that's what I was looking at. The damn mansion where I lived was standing in front of me. Her scent had lead me back here?

My body fell to the ground. I punched the soil with my fists. What did I do wrong? What did I do to deserve this? Was it because of the people I killed in the past? Was this a nightmare trapped in my head? Would I wake up? Was I imagining this, some horrible scene that could be? Who was I?

Someone help me! Someone, anyone, why do I have to be so alone? Don't I have anybody? What about me repels love? Why can't it embrace me like everyone else? Why am I not worthy? Oh Bella… why wasn't my heart a good enough gift to you? Was it too old, too hideous or so unused that you didn't want it and finally tossed it aside?

"Why…"

_Looks like I will have to wait longer…_

My head snapped up when I heard a sudden echo in my head. There in front of me, transparent and entrapped in a golden glow was _he_.

"Helios?" A certain hope sprung into existence inside of me. His translucent face was grim.

_I fervently hoped that you would be the vessel to fulfill my millennia long quest but at the looks of things… I'm sorry if I caused you a headache and I'm sorry for troubling you Edward. _

"You too?" I asked alarmed.

_She is gone. And because she is gone there is no purpose left for me here. I go where she is. _

"Take me to her then!" I asked begging.

A sad smile crossed the ghost's face. _I am sorry. But your part in this tale is over. Good luck Edward. Cherish the time you had with her. I know I do. _

_Goodbye._

And with that he began to fade away becoming more transparent. The golden glow around him melted away.

"NO," I reached out but with a last despairing smile he too, disappeared.

No… why? Why do they leave me? Bella… Why… Why… I closed my eyes and surrendered to the drying life within me. I fell to the ground and into a pool of rain.

Why did this have to happen? Why was the world crashing around me? All my life I felt like the others were looking and going ahead into the future and leaving me behind. Why now did this emotion feel so strong and abiding? The world spiraled ahead and yet I was left behind to suffer in my tragedy. The princess suddenly turned evil and dark for she was the architect of the prince's downfall. She had him drink poison and taste a sweet apple that was old and foul. She crushed him. She destroyed his kingdom and turned his happily ever after sour.

"Bella…" I whispered with my last breath before I allowed the darkness to devour me.

**(Authors Note) – **This chapter was a toughie for me. But this was planned from the get go. I still hope you enjoyed the chapter and continuation of the story. Please REVIEW and let me know what you think. Everyone's opinions are welcome.


	39. Chapter 38

Decisions, decisions

(3rd Person Point of View)

There was a weak breeze riffling through the lightly snow covered trees in the Wisconsin wilderness. They carried a far away cry from somewhere deep in the west. It sounded confused and pained but the trees payed it no mind. Twilight had come and gone and a dark blue night was moving in ahead of them. All seemed still and at peace. A small lake near the trees had been covered with a light layer of ice, and the small flakes of snow falling from the sky danced across its marble surface.

The moon showed her face high above surrounded by light white clouds. Everything slept and dreamt. The peace filled atmosphere was benevolent but also eerie in its own way.

Suddenly somewhere from between the trees the silence was interrupted by a slight crunching noise. It came closer to the peaceful night that had settled there. Crunch, and crunch, and another crunch echoed through the stillness. A dark shape appeared out of the forest walking steadily and calm. The mystery of the dark night wondered who dared to interrupt their slumber.

The dark shape stepped into the moonlight revealing itself. The night fell silent. Her mahogany hair glistened in the light blue shine of the ancient orb above, and the crunching stopped as she fell motionless. Her head moved about the area. The red eyes that had seen too many days searched the darkness for some hidden movement.

Bella stepped out into the middle of the clearing surrounded by the snow covered trees and the frozen lake. There was no expression on her face. Not one emotion displayed on her white face that matched the moon's beauty. Her arms lay lifeless by her side, and her fingers slightly moved as the wind blew through them. She did not breathe. What was the point?

Her mind overflowed with memories of the past weeks. Not once in her thousands of year reign had she played with fire as she did during the last few days. She preferred the ice and cold, and sense of nothing. It was what she had to feel. _Wasn't it_ her mind asked her? Why interrupt the mundane nothingness and that comfortable silence? There was a higher purpose in that. A purpose set forth so long ago. An undeniable contract with no exemption or loop to get out off, and that was signed in blood.

Bella, after what seemed like hours, finally moved her head to the sky and glanced at the moon. The small flakes of snow that had landed on her head glided uninterrupted to the ground. Luna's reflection was frightening to see in her crimson eyes; a blood moon it looked like. And still Bella didn't breathe. What was the point? She was trapped. She could not get out.

Her eyes closed and opened in a long synchronized blink. A heavy rock it felt like sat at the bowel of her stomach. A cluster of feelings that she had always denied herself suddenly wished to break through. _But love never lasts_ her mind whispered. Love is always parted eventually and knows not the displeasure of immortality. But then as her mind muttered those malicious dark thoughts, the wall that she had surrounded herself with cracked, and so did she.

Her brows pushed together and air filled her lungs only to release a dry sob. Bella grinded her teeth together and her once lifeless arms found their way to her head, griping it tightly. She exhaled strongly and quickly and shut her eyes completely. A long whip of air entered through her teeth and nose. She filled herself completely with the soft and clear air of the snow and trees. And as swift as she made herself whole with air she forcibly unleashed it back onto the world

Bella's teeth unlocked as a tremendous growl broke the peace. It came up her throat and spread its wings and flew high through the wind. Bella snarled and screamed towards the sky. Her hands tore away from her head and bent their fingers wishing to crush anything that would touch them.

Her loud howl continued to flare up towards the dark firmament. It seemed endless. Her growls that would put any wolf to shame were deeply filled with torment. The pain that was thousands of years old and that had reached its peak had no choice but to break free. As malevolent as it sounded the cry was a heart breaking plea. Her unabridged growl continued.

Abruptly the trees started to shake. The dust of snow jumped of their naked branches. The earth beneath Bella's feet too began to grumble. A large boulder the size of a Buick shook uncontrollably just yards away from her. Nature itself began to tremble all around her as her grieve stricken growl brought the forest alive. And suddenly, they all exploded.

The large boulder lifted itself off the ground and floated high in mid air. The trees lifted as their roots bravely tried to keep them on the ground. One giant after another tore itself away from its seat in the forest and levitated into the air like they had grown wings to fly. An evanescent force vibrated across the lake. The ice on the lake broke with one giant crack as though a gargantuan hammer had smashed it. The icy water beneath came to life and floated quickly along with the boulder and trees into the air.

A wave of telekinetic energy controlled the objects around Bella. Her growl faded away into a sobbing cry. Her eyes opened and they burned.

She screamed and her sight caught glimpse of the dozens of floating trees around her. She hissed angrily and suddenly both her hands were consumed by balls of fire. Bella threw out her hand and a beam of flame consumed and combusted a tree floating above her. She threw her arm off to her side making a half circle as multiple flamethrowers emanated from her form and made more trees in the air explode.

"Ahhaa, ahaa..," her cries encircled the entire night. Her eyes found the boulder, and as soon as they did, within a fraction of a second the large rock combusted. Millions of sharp pebbles raced through the area. The laws of physics seemed to no longer apply.

* * *

_Elsewhere… _

A plain field lay before his weary feet. A man dressed in a black suit casually strode across the country side. His Native American descent was clear. He had short black cropped hair and wide dark red eyes. His face was beautiful and pale. His beautiful face housed high cheek bones and fine thin lips accompanied by a button nose.

He looked up to the sky mesmerized. But also in his eyes there was a familiar sadness. There was an unfulfilled longing that ran streaks of loneliness through his being. He rested his hands in the pockets of his black business like pants. Her stared at the ground pouting his lips while kicking a small rock over the field until it was out of his sight.

He continued to walk until…

He stopped. His eyes grew wide as his senses went haywire. Quick as a flash he turned and looked into what seemed nowhere. He gasped as he felt the mental distress beacon. Something inside of his black leather coat over his suit began to vibrate. It beeped continuously and quick. Without looking he reached inside his coat pocket and drew a small silver mirror from it.

The blue light appeared on the screen and large amounts of data began flowing in fast. The vamerrian symbols began to shape and made sentences.

_WARNING. WARNING. _

_ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELD DETECTED. _

_CLASSIFICATION: UNKOWN_

_LEVEL: 10… OMEGA. _

_LOCATION: AS FOLLOWS…_

Without awaiting reply for coordinates the vampire raced down the field and through the river. His shoes did not get wet as his instincts and senses drove him through the plains. He pushed worriedly onwards to the source that he could feel surging through his body.

* * *

Bella looked at the levitating water. The water spun around in circles and forcefully crashed back down into the lake like a spear. Her eyes met the still floating trees causing them to be torn asunder.

Her body felt sluggish and tender with weakness. Her knees began to shake and gave in. She hit the ground. Bella closed her eyes and as soon as she did whatever held the trees and rocks in the air was unmade. They fell back to the ground making the earth shake. As her eyes reopened and found the ground, to her surprise she found large cracks there. Unbeknownst to her, when her power was freed it unhinged the earth around her.

What did it matter she thought. She cried. She covered her face up with her hands and wept. This couldn't go on her mind told her. There had to be another way to exist. But not now she thought. So much damage was incurred. She had destroyed him. She had paralyzed him and left him there on his knees. She had told him the lies but also the truths. Because of her Edward became a vampire. But they had no choice. Life had to be sacrificed in order to safe life.

Bella hugged herself and fell forward on the ground. Her dry sobs continued. It was a rare sight to see one of _them _so defeated and downgraded. She felt like she was… done. She did not deserve to go on but she had to. She did not deserve to continue living after all she had made happen but she had to. There was no eternal rest and no chance of redemption now. Of all the exploits over the many millennia this one, felt like the shining trophy on top of all the others.

But she had no choice she kept telling herself. Whether or not she deceived herself, she knew that there was a higher purpose and more important issues than Edward. The thought made her cringe as she continued to weep. How could she have been so weak and allowed herself to be brought to the light. What she and the others had built could not be undone in one night because of one vampire. How could she be so selfish and not consider them.

The vast chaos and destruction around her suited how she felt deep inside well Bella thought. That is all she ever seems to do, destroy. But she has no choice and in this case, she truly had no choice. There were things that Edward could never understand especially about her. She had spent so many years alone and wandering by herself, and just as she believed that the feeling was permanent and there was no problem Edward had shattered in a few weeks what had taken eons to build.

It wasn't right what she did, she knew. But she could not risk the exposure of them. Had she only gone to Seattle sooner and taken care of the problem herself. Victoria and her small group of newly born vampires would have been no match for her. But her own infatuation with Edward kept her there. When the time came it was too late. Actions had already been taken to once again protect the vampire secret and the Volturi were on their way. Was there no place to crawl into and disappear forever?

The minutes turned to hours. Bella wearily watched the snowflakes gliding to the ground covering the destruction her mind caused during her rage. The trees that she so adored and loved lay lifeless on the ground returning to the earth. The night was at its fullest. And there was no whisper of comfort in the air. She did not wish for comfort and felt that eternity was her just punishment. Never did she believe she would long for the days of immortality and when there was still a chance of atonement.

But what could she do now?

Her sorrowful scene was interrupted when she listened to footsteps from far away. She listened to them approaching fast, and quickly moving in on her location. Her mind seemed not to care for whatever it was even though she recognized the speed, the elegance, and power in those steps. She wanted nothing more than to drown in her loneliness but it was unavoidable for her to be found by one of them.

They were close now. Somewhere behind her she felt the vibrations in the ground of someone's still stance.

Quickly the feet picked themselves back up and rushed over to where she was curled up on the ground. She felt someone's hands on her shoulders pulling her off the ground.

"Celest," a concerned voice said. "CELEST?" Bella's nose immediately picked up the scent of the stranger and a strange notion of serenity moved through her body. She felt his hands on her cheeks as they poised her head to his.

She looked into the depth of the same redness that was home to her own eyes. With a small and hoarse whisper she managed to say his name.

"Apotamkin…" she said. His face was covered with worry as his eyes searched her face, and her body for any sign of distress.

"Celest are you alright? What happened?" Apotamkin asked.

A dry sob escaped Bella's throat as she gazed into the face of someone that knew those feelings, and held the same deep seated despair as she did. She could not help but break and began to weep once more. Apotamkin became increasingly nervous as he watched his sister. He froze surprised as Bella's arms reached around him and she buried her head in his chest.

Surprise waned when he embraced her back and held her tight. He placed his hand on her head, patting it.

"What happened? What's wrong?" He repeated. Bella shook her head in his chest. Apotamkin sighed frustrated but held her nonetheless. Only he truly knew what she felt. Much like Celest he too had seen the farthest gate and knew the thorns of pain all too well.

He could do nothing but hold her as she cried in his arms and time continued to pass far too slowly.

The clouds moved ahead in the sky in their seemingly endless journey. The night was in full bloom and the stars looked like diamonds glowing and burning towards the horizon. The stars hadn't changed in so long Apotamkin thought whilst sitting on the ground with his legs crossed upright in front of him. His arms rested on top of his knees while his fingers were intertwined. He risked a small glimpse at Bella that sat next to him mimicking his posture on the ground.

Once her weeping had stopped she sat up on the ground and had stared at the sky ever since. Several times since she rose he tried to communicate with her but she remained mute. He even considered asking her to lower her mental defenses if words were too painful so he could see for himself what bothered her. On second thought he wondered if that was wise. Her current situation baffled him. Out of all of them she had always been the strongest. Celest was always the one that dug them out of the darkness when it had consumed them.

To see her like this, like them, was chilling; even to his cold skin.

"Do you ever wonder…?" Apotamkin's eyes jumped to Bella's face when she broke the dreadful silence between them.

"Wonder?" he asked. Bella sighed shaking her head.

"Wonder what would have happened had we not made the choice we did?" Apotamkin gasped horrified. Bella showed him a quick smile to express her half seriousness on the matter. This relieved his shock but did not erase the question he thought would ever roll of her lips.

"I figure that someone else would have taken our place," Apotamkin answered. "Perhaps no one would have been chosen."

"That would have been fatal." Bella whispered. Apotamkin could no longer hold his curiosity and asked her once more.

"What happened to put you into this stage?" He watched her patiently.

Bella's head lowered tiredly as she rested her chin on top of her wrists. There was a glimmer of shame in her eyes.

"I can't do this anymore Apotamkin…" Bella had spoken so quietly not even a regular vampire could have heard her. But he did. Apotamkin sat right up on his seat on the ground struggling to find the right words to extinguish between what she was really trying to ask him.

"By that question I fervently hope you are referring to our way of life and not our purpose, yes?"

Bella growled and rose from the ground.

"You know exactly what I mean." She snarled at him. Apotamkin shook his head with an intense aura of apprehension on his face.

"I CAN'T DO THIS ANYMORE! I CAN'T LIVE LIKE THIS ANYMORE."

"You know what we must do better than any of us Celest," Apotamkin said sternly. Bella waved her hands into the air.

"Yes brother but does it mean that we have to live in the shadows of our kind for the rest of eternity?" Bella argued. "Have you not grown weary of the nothingness? Do you not long to be known after all we have done?"

Apotamkin got up off the ground mirroring Bella's expression. "It was a decision that we all made. We decided that the less the world knows of us the better our chances of eternity and waiting for the sacred day when we'll be allowed to sail." There was no anger in his voice, only pity since he understood her dismay quite well.

"We don't want this. You know we don't. We thought there would be no problem with that decision. But now after so many years we see the error in that particular choice. The darkness is eating at us Apotamkin. For how much longer do we have to this? It's been over 8,000 years."

Apotamkin writhed to find the appropriate words but his argument was at conflict with his own personal needs.

"Apotamkin…" Bella pleaded. He looked at her sympathetically. "I'm dying inside…"

His brows pushed together pained. "I'm hollow too Celest."

Bella shook her head and turned away from him. She folded her arms over her chest and looked up at the moon. Only she knew the never ending story they were all authors of. Luna had stood by them the entire time and watched their every move every night.

"Do you remember the good old days Apotamkin?" Bella asked. Apotamkin looked up at her but did not speak. "Do you remember when we lived our life's out in the open? When we had no reason to hide and we lived amongst the humans?"

Apotamkin sighed depressingly. "I remember. But that was a very long time ago. It almost seems like a dream the life we once knew."

"We all live in fear of releasing him but have you ever considered that this choice might be benefiting him?" Bella asked.

Surprised he looked up at her, with his mouth open. "How do you mean?" Bella turned back around to look at her ancient brother.

"We are falling into the depth of ourselves. What are we if not vampires Apotamkin? Then again, we are not really vampires anymore are we? You remember how he fed on the fear, agony, and pain of our kind?"

Apotamkin swallowed nervously at the subject. He nodded, "Yes," he said.

"Look at us. The only time we feel any sort of feeling of contentment is when we are all together but that is not always the easiest thing to achieve. We have buried all that we are beneath the soil; our power too. He enjoys our agony."

Apotamkin walked closer to Bella with suspicion in his eyes. "I refuse to believe that all of this was brought on by the passing of years. What happened that ignited all of this in you?"

Bella turned her head away breathing annoyed. She didn't want to share this with him or anyone. It didn't seem fair that she allowed herself to feel love when they swore an oath to keep them from it. Eventually they all would leave them and move on past the white shores. Getting involved with any of them only to be left behind in the end was too much pain to bear. But she had to tell him the truth. If she could not confide into him then who?

"There was this vampire…"

"Say no more!" Apotamkin interrupted her. He smiled brilliantly. "I already knew. Only love has the power to move the mountains within us that would question our cause."

Bella lowered her head embarrassed. "I'm sorry," she said sadly. Apotamkin touched Bella's face and curled her cheek in his hand.

"You shouldn't be. Love can't be controlled. It breaks through barriers, sometimes painfully. It always finds a way to slither into our hearts when we least expect it. There is nothing you could have done about it. Instead of being sorry, tell me what it felt like."

Bella raised her eyebrows surprised. "I told you from my experience with Hel…" Apotamkin shook his head disapproving.

"That is old love. I want to know what it felt like to fall in love all over again. Be honest."

A small laugh erupted from Bella's throat as she stared in his inquisitive eyes. How was she going to describe something that had no words? How was she to describe what she felt for Edward? She closed her eyes imagining his image in the blankness. But it was a happier image, an image of his smile.

"It's like standing in a cold dead wasteland. There is nothing around you. Whichever way you look there is nothing but death. The mountains are black; the trees are dead and lost their crowns. You feel decadent and weak. In that place there is no purpose. It is the abyss that we all fear. But then suddenly you see a light. There somewhere between the dead and dried blood. You feel a quaint curiosity.

You walk towards that light. You feel its warmth on your face and sense a new calamity. You don't know what to say because in that moment words aren't enough. You reach out with your fingers to grasp that light. And as soon as you touch it the world around you changes. You look to the ground and see new green grass sprouting from the soil. You look up at the sky. It was covered in shades of grey with dirty clouds. But suddenly that light radiated a wave of immeasurable heat.

The grey of the sky begins to dim and you see that long lost blue peering through the dusty curtains of your old life. The clouds turn, and shed themselves of filth and reinvent themselves with their beloved white. It is worth again to gaze upon the mountains because they too once again seem beautiful.

What's most important is that you feel life inside of you again. There is excitement. The sun rises over the mountains making the glaciers sparkle. And for once you actually look forward to the sun rise; you look forward to a new day because you feel that this is the day when you get to explore a whole new world.

You get to explore a whole new world…with _them_."

Apotamkin looked at Bella astounded. She seemed like she was in a trance. The destruction around her seemed to dissipate.

"He must be very special for such emotion to sound from your mouth." Bella broke away from her trance and returned her thoughts to Edward.

"Like I said, I'm ready for change." The discussion they both felt now came down to its most dire moment.

Apotamkin squeezed his eyes; they looked like slits, and stared Bella down.

"You know it's what we all want Apotamkin. But you just never dreamt that I would be the one to make the suggestion." The atmosphere was tense and serious.

"We still have enemies out there Celest," he suggested. Bella snorted.

"Please, who would dare to challenge us? I feel most sorry for the poor souls that would dare to infringe on Elysium. The children of the moon and Moriatus have been brought to the very brink of extinction. The world has changed and is not what it used to be. In this world the enemies have disappeared. We shouldn't have to put up with this anymore."

Apotamkin inhaled deeply. He nodded agreeing with Bella. "We ended the War of Wars. Then we spent nearly two thousand years erasing the history of our kind convincing humanity that we were nothing but terrible nightmares banished into their minds only." Apotamkin said.

"But is it selfish? Is it worth it?" Bella asked.

"What do you think?" He asked her.

"We would unmake a lot of things we created. But then again, those things are now antique. Do we not want vampires to pilgrimage to Elysium?"

"Yes, Rusalka and I have discussed this too." Bella blinked taken.

"Truly?" Apotamkin nodded. "We discussed whether or not concealing Elysium from all outside vampires is wise. Some of them find their way to us eventually yes but others… They take the journey alone and that's not always safe."

"My point exactly, but still, for me to make that decision for all of us?" Apotamkin sighed laughing.

"Celest, Celest, Celest. You would be our perfect excuse."

Bella cocked her head to the side, "Pardon me?"

"We all want what you want. I can't speak for the others but secretly I have been wanting for you to make that decision. After all you are the one that gathered us together and forged us into one. You suggested our disappearance from the world and at the time it was the right decision, we all agreed. But now after over two thousand years? I want what you found!"

Bella lowered her head relieved. She took Apotamkin in her arms and kissed him on his lips and they both shared an affectionate embrace. After all these years they did have love. The love between them was overwhelming. The camaraderie, the friendship, the laughter, the journey, and all else that they shared.

"Do you think the others would go along with this?" She whispered into his ear. Apotamkin laughed silently.

"They would be as shocked as I but they would embrace you like I am now, especially Olokun. But just don't tell Pilirin about your sudden reservations." Bella laughed loudly.

"No, there is no need to feed the beast."

They pulled apart from each other and looked into the faces they had known for so long. Apotamkin's visage suddenly became serious again.

"You understand however that much would have to be changed for this?" Bella nodded agreeing. The entire vampire domain would uncover the secrets that their brethren had been keeping from them, for their own good.

"The Volturi…" Bella said with a disgusted crooked smile on her face.

"All that Aro has we gave to him. And we have the power to take all that away from him leaving him powerless again."

"Then we need to gather once more and unearth the forces that surround us. Fortunately for us you send them to Forks which means they are separated. All we have to do is empty Volterra. Marcus will have no issue with this."

Apotamkin smiled. "There however still is one small question and realization to be answered."

Bella's brows came together at the word "realization". She looked at Apotamkin questioningly. There was a sudden beam in his eyes that was alien to her.

"Your vampire," Bella intervened, "Edward. His name is Edward." Apotamkin's face engulfed in a large smile, and acknowledged her with one nod.

"Edward then, you realize that Edward will be legendary." Bella retreated from Apotamkin's embrace and turned away from him. "He will be the vessel to have swayed the mind of _you, _and by so doing will have changed the life that Elysium knows. By rescuing you from your own solitary darkness he will have lifted all of us. He touched the most ancient mind and single handedly returned you to the surface where the light exists. Could he handle this?"

Away from Apotamkin's vision Bella smiled. "You would be surprised. Edward has the potential to ascend sooner than the others. There is a strength buried deep down within him that could challenge ours. But he is ignorant to it. However, once that strength is awakened the acceptance he'll receive will be staggering. And I will be there by his side to help him. I'll always be there…"

Apotamkin chuckled at Bella's answer. "Very well, the realization has been answered. Now can you answer the question as well?" Bella looked over her shoulder confused. She studied the curiosity on Apotamkin's face but couldn't identify the question he was thinking of.

Apotamkin folded his hands behind his back and looked at the snowy ground. He stepped closer to Bella who turned around fully to face him. Their eyes met, both swimming with excitement but also hope for the future.

"Is this Edward worth it Celest?"

They stared each other down. Both had been covered in a light layer of snow that did not melt on their cold skin. Bella had not given him an immediate answer. Who was to say what the future had in store. What sort of premonition could predict the greatest decision they had made since the elder days. Apotamkin's eyes searched Bella's for some predetermined answer she might have already made but found nothing.

The wind picked up slightly between them blowing the snow of their statue like bodies. Bella's light mahogany hair blew elegantly in the breeze ridding itself of the flakes that had landed there.

Bella's mind was blank. The usual thousands of thoughts that would be racing through her had been made moot. This one question Apotamkin asked suddenly received the highest pedestal of all. It was reborn in her mind as the one question that needed an answer now above anything else.

Beneath the pedestal the memories of the past two thousand years flooded in. They flashed by at light speed in front of her eyes. They showed the world changing, carriages given away for automobiles, wooden boats given away for luxury cruisers, sickness was turned silent by advanced medicine, and the legends of their kind were banished into the farthest and most doubtful corners of human memory. Even the reasoning of vampires had changed by the plentiful turning of the pages. Many sought origin and a purpose that Elysium would provide.

The air currents became stronger and encircled them both if nature itself became tedious by the silence that surrounded these two figures.

Apotamkin's eyes twitched as Bella's closed. The dark shades beneath her eyes vanished. They snapped back open.

The twister of snow around them stopped and the world fell silent.

"Call me Bella."

**(Authors Note) – I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter. Only a few more to go before the first intro in my trilogy is complete. Please review and voice your opinions. Everyone's thoughts are welcome. **


	40. Chapter 39

Summit

(Third Person Point of View)

Carefully, and with one small leap at a time Alice made her away up to the third floor of the mansion. She envisioned a dark frame in front of her eyes with no images. She kept her mind blank and silent while she ascended as not to offset him too soon. His late arrival yesterday caused too much of a stir especially due to his zombie like state. Carlisle and Esme were out of themselves when they saw his eccentric behavior and knew not what to say. Even Emmett and Rosalie gasped in shock when they saw his pitiful posture that only whispered one thing over and over, "she's gone."

She blamed herself. Alice felt like she had seen it coming; not in a vision but rather in a cursed feeling. Edward's providence was too dazzling at the time to glimpse through the cracks and see the coming devastation he had to meet. She felt like the seer Cassandra. Alice had felt it all coming but did nothing to stop it. Unfortunately, she did not come to him to converse about her.

Alice made it up the staircase and held her breath tightly. He had flown up the stairs pushing away the loving embraces rushing towards him and smashed the door so strongly that a visible crack now displayed on its surface. Esme had been brushed with worry spending the entire day in Carlisle's arms. Emmett had tried to get Edward out of his "chamber" on a few occasions but failed miserably. He only scored several profanities from Edward's own mouth that not any of them had ever heard. Whatever happened crushed him indisputably.

Jasper felt richly uncomfortable. He described the despair and limp tearing sorrow as some nightmare. He was in the den behind the house engulfed in a book trying to get his feelings straight and block out Edwards. But since Bella so mightily accelerated his power it was thrice has hard.

And Rosalie, well she was Rosalie. She sat in a corner sighing and provoked over Edward's demeanor. She tried to ebb herself away from the situation but every once in awhile you could see a glimmer of care and uneasiness in her golden eyes.

Alice managed to make it to the door without causing the slightest bit of noise. Attentively she poised her ear next to the door, straining to hear only the smallest amount of movement. She became anxious when her eavesdropping failed. But her recent vision was a greater proprietor of concern.

"Edward," she whispered with motionless lips.

"Get the hell out of here," Edward's rude response made her shrink. Alice inhaled deeply and exhaled again trying to steady her tension. What she had to say was of the utmost importance even though she saw no real turbulence heading their way.

"Edward you need to listen to me now for just one moment okay? I'll go as soon as I'm finished. I promise." Alice spoke with the softest tone she could muster. She tried to be sympathetic without trying to show pity.

"Get the hell out of here," Edward murmured. Alice closed her eyes frustrated and sad. She shook her head and had to get it out. He was part of this family; this covenant, and had to be acquainted with the sudden coming of _them_.

"Look, at first Carlisle didn't think anything of it but now we're positive that's why _they_ are coming. I had a vision Edward. The Volturi are on their way. They'll arrive in little over a day." Alice hoped earnestly that this would shake him out of his depressing mood. The vision was so sudden and clear. It was as though the moment Bella left Alice's visions became fuller again.

"Edward, Carlisle had been following a strange chain of disappearances in Seattle and neighboring collations of townships that had him afraid of vampire involvement. They've been finding bodies turned to charcoal. So extreme that not even a dental examination could identify them. At first it seemed like the work of some new madman at large but the body count has tripled in the last week. We didn't really notice because... well because we just didn't really notice."

Alice mentally slapped herself as she almost said the name that would have surely upset him even more. She moved her ear back to the door and didn't get a response. Was he even listening she thought discouraged.

"Edward, listen please. Look, Carlisle is extremely surprised by the fact that the Volturi are acting so soon. Not to mention the fact that Aro is coming with them. If it's just a mindless bunch of newborns than there would be no need for the ancients to come but… they are. Aro and Caius are coming along with their guard. Carlisle thinks that they might come to see us too since we're the only family in close proximity to Seattle other than Tanya's. We could be the only reason for an army to be built over territorial disputes.

Jasper thinks or is relatively certain that it could be Victoria. I'm looking into it…"

Alice shuddered when a low snarl erupted from in-between the space of the door and its frame.

"Get the hell out of here, leave me alone, and I honestly don't care!"

"Ugh, Edward…" Alice groaned. "This should make you wary. I know you have a heavy load on top of your head right now but this is important. Carlisle thinks we should be prepared just in case. We thought about going to Denali but that might raise suspicion."

Alice listened intently but no sound echoed from the room beyond. It took her a Herculean effort to just come up here. As childish as it may seem right about now she wished she would have taken Emmett's offer of drawing straws.

Alice placed her hands on the door and leaned her forehead up against the white painted wood. Though the magnitude of his emotions she was blind too Alice understood his sorrow. In the short time she was with them Bella had captured her fascination. It was a rarity to see a vampire that took immortality and forged it into the best possible outcome imaginable. She was in pain too. Her mind wandered to her closet.

_The one thing that is not like the rest…_

Promptly she swayed her thoughts away from the arisen topic in her mind. Now that it seemed over there was no point, and she had worked so hard to make it.

"Edward… I'm sorry," she whispered as a sob escaped her lips. Her nails slightly pricked the wood, falling. "I'm so, so, so, soo-rry," she cried.

"I wish I would have known. I wish I could have warned you," Alice murmured in a quiet rage. She banged her fist helplessly against his door causing slight amounts of sawdust to pour out of the wide crack.

"Forgive me. I wish I could have known her better too… but then maybe I would be as crushed as you now. Edward…" Alice's lips moved against the door.

Alice flustered painfully. There was a slight squeezing and pressing sound coming from inside the room. Alice was alert and her ear was attached to the door instantly. Her throat trembled with remorse. She wanted nothing more than for him to come out of his self indulged confinement.

"Please go," Edward's silent words flew through Alice.

Unwillingly Alice detached herself from the door still mildly sobbing to herself. Maybe he was right and she should leave him be for the time being. As evil as it seemed Alice was glad that they did not spend a greater amount of time together or else this would be far worse. She only bitterly gave up her errand but accepted Edward's need to be alone.

With her head lowered and grievous herself she trotted down the hall. The wind knocked on the glass windows harshly as she walked by them. Alice peeked uninterested towards the horizon. Suddenly she lifted her head and blinked astonished. Her closed lips parted to join the rest of her features in surprise. Alice walked over to stand directly in front of the window. She lifted the delicate yellow curtains to see the fullness of the sky.

"Is... is that a storm?" She asked out loud.

Her golden orbs took in the incomprehensible vision before her. The entire lower part of the sky that touched the forest was induced in a dark blue void. Alice looked to her right down the river, and left down the edge of the forest. The storm was covering the entire horizon! She saw small and tender flashes of light convulsing in them; lightning.

There were vast amounts of dead leaves being thrown back and forth in the uproar of everything. She had never seen anything like this. That's a big one she though with chills running through her. The storm was coming closer, slowly edging its way up consuming anything in its path. She shook her head unbelieving. Her mind kept trying to tell her that this was not natural. Some invisible force was giving speed to that blackness.

Her eyes were not big enough to see this monstrous behemoth. She began to shiver. Alice's pupils retracted, growing small. Through the white sparkles in her mind a vision was being born but it was deformed. There wasn't enough to see anything. She fluttered her eyes confounded.

"That storm will be here soon…" she said to herself. "And we'd better be ready when it gets here."

Alice took a cautious step away from the window, anxious. "Something is coming…"

* * *

_Wiltshire County, 2.0 miles west of Amesbury, England. _

_Stonehenge. _

The night was full, and the dark firmament wore the moon as its silver pendant in the middle of her magnificence. Abandoned and alone there somewhere in the field stood an ancient giant that still intrigued the mind of all of humanity, and is the unlimited source of endless speculation. Its giant boulders stood tall and proud and glistened in the moonlight. Yet for all its wonder it seemed empty and pointless. The mystery surrounding the goliath seemed to dim with the passing of each century. Just the way it was meant to be.

Swift and hidden beneath a blue and violet cloak a figure approached the ancient monument passing the Heel stone. A white hand emerged from the cloak and gave the stone a quick pat before hurrying along to the center of the monolith. The hooded figure stopped in the center, the heart of Stonehenge. They looked up to the engrossing glow of Luna's smile that stood directly over the structure.

The white hand reappeared and gracefully removed the hood of the cloak revealing her straight mahogany hair. The curls of her hair encircled her ancient face like a river flowing around gentle green pedals. She waved her black lashes seductively and smiled pleasantly while looking at the pieces of the stone giant.

"Hello, old friend," her bell like voice sang.

Stonehenge had not caught her sight in centuries. It was criminal that she had not visited her dear acquaintance sooner especially under the circumstances.

Bella filled her throat with fresh air and allowed the scent of Stonehenge to fill her completely. Here, where so many difficult decisions had been decided, yet another would be determined. She remembered the ancients building the place of summit, and where they chose it as a place of deliberation. Stonehenge was the only vampire built structure the world knew. So long had it been elusive and shrouded in anonymity.

There had not been a gathering in over two thousand years. But now, from all across the land they were drawing nearer. Bella closed her eyes and smiled with her mouth open. She could feel them coming closer, they were so very close.

Bella spread out her arms to each side and opened her palms. It truly had been far too long since they united under one banner. They were always scattered to every corner of the earth maintaining the life stream, fishing for the dogs, scouring the world of Moriatus, and guiding the lost to the crystal path of enlightenment. But the hour was late and soon their power would be made whole again.

Bella inhaled severely. "From whence they came and spilled upon the dread of Earth, here were we in grand Memoria, the center of memory. Spirits glide and chase across the sky, burn intently in thy eternity and bring forth thy vigor upon this servant. Guardians of the farthest gate, I invoke thee. Arise from beneath the shadow of blood and rejoin the living dead.

Generations beyond the void of depth and dark are settled here, awaken from thy throbbing slumber. Call upon the wisdom of the venom and fill this sacred place by this servant's plea.

From the south thee bring thy smoldering calidity. Melt this primeval ice and forge thy blade to pierce, hack, gash, incise, rip, sever, wound, AND SLICE ANY IMBICIL THAT WOULD DISTURB THIS ANCIENT MIGHT!"

A snarling draft suddenly blew through Bella's robes with light growls on its voice.

"From the west thee bring thy soaring wave of anarchy. I call forth thy bitter tides, trashing floods, wicked tsunamis, divine monsoons, and BECKON THE GREAT LEVIATHAN TO DROWN ANY WHO WOULD ARREST OUR HALLOW CROWNS!"

Bella's eyes glowed nebulously. Her persona changed and was as though some other force had taken control of her.

"From the south thee bring thy tempest gales of bane and woe. Throw down upon the earth thy morbid twisters, infectious cyclones, shattering typhoons, and GIVE FLIGHT TO WINGS OF THY DAMNABLE HURRICANES AND TEAR ASUNDER ANY WHO WOULD DARE PILFER OUR PLUNDER!"

A howling crack of lighting struck its way across the blackening sky.

"From the north thee bring thy cracking shakes of salvation. Elevate thy colossal barrier, fissure and split the earth to shreds, and ERECT THY HOLY HAMMER AND ENTOMB ANY TRANSGRESSORS WHO WOULD DARE TO PRINT THEIR FILHTY PIGS FEET UPON THIS OUR SECRET CREED."

A low renegade grumble shook the earth. Bella's arms still poised to the sky were like lightning rods and hinted at conjuring the thunder. Bella's face hat abruptly changed and housed a twisted mask with a smile.

"Crawl from beneath this fair soil, you who were you who are, and you who have still come to pass. Envelop this day with your esoteric scent AND CALL ME FORTH THOSE WHO HAVE AMBLED THROUGH DESPAIR, SORROW, MALADY, AND MISERY! INVOKE THOSE WHO CLAWED, STALKED, DIMINISHED AND SPAT AT THE SCREAMS IN THE DARKNESS OF NIGHT! I BESEECH THEE."

Amid Bella's chants and spells forthwith the pillars of Stonehenge and between its arch's shadowy figures like ghosts appeared. Their shapes were black as tar and only their built could be seen. Their hands slid smoothly on the rough edges of the rock Stonehenge was constructed of. They peaked like demonic apparitions around the corners. The light only shined on Bella. But apart from their dark and wraith like appearance only one thing could be seen in the murkiness. Seven pairs of bright red eyes stared out of the darkness at Bella, like predators ready to strike; they whispered amongst each other.

Bella, with no daunting bone in her body looked about herself at the shadowy figures.

"Unwrap yourselves of this blinding shadow. You, the kings and queens of old, take your rightful seats in my blessed circle. Join me in this the fifth great gathering of our courtship. Be it known to all of you that the spirits of the ancestors have descended here. BATHE IN THEIR KNOWLEDGE, and glorify your rights of name and heritage."

Bella held a smug smile on her features as she lowered her hands. Elegantly she hovered forward towards the most center pillar of Stonehenge flanked by the other arches. The beating maroon eyes watched her every gesture as she halted and placed the palm of her right hand unto the boulder. They watched keenly as Bella stood motionless before the stone. Suddenly there was movement in the old relic. Their eyes moved to an arch way next to the middle piece.

From both sides of the arch abruptly two very thin metal bars sprouted from each end. Slowly they grew out of the dome barely making any noise at all. The four bars touched, on top and below. They formed a slender frame like that of a window. Bella released her hand from the center stone and moved towards the bars while being watched by the Cimmerian ghosts. Their heads cocked in the shadows following Bella's movement.

When Bella arrived in front of the frame she waved her hand over its empty interior. Yet, as her hand flew over the frame a screen appeared within its body. A light baby blue light emerged illuminating her milky face. Her face had lost its smug smile and now represented extreme seriousness. Bella mimicked her gesture and waved her hand over the screen again. A quiet and quick beeping noise could be heard as the ground began to shake.

Bella turned away from the screen and watched as eight gravel like stumps appeared from beneath the ground. They looked much like cut down tree trunks only made of stone. They arose breaking through grass blades and pushing away smaller pebbles. They froze when they had grown a mere two feet high. Each small trunk introduced strange symbols and carvings particular and unique to each of them. Then, the new center that was surrounded by the trunks and Stonehenge itself began to rotate. It spun like a small disc tearing away at the grass until showing itself.

A blue round light appeared in the form of the aforementioned disc. Bella gracefully lifted her cloak and traveled into the center of the summit. She stood in front of one of the risen stone seats and very beautifully seated herself. Her chair stood in front of the center piece of Stonehenge. She folded her hands in her lap resting one in the other.

"Join me my fellow vampire lords," she ordered.

They slithered like serpents from behind the giant monument. In a single file they circled around the rocky seats and each one of them stopped in front of one. They continued until every single one of them held a bearing. As one, and in synch, they all sat down. A crooked grin crept up on Bella's lips when she looked at each of the dark faces, and the glaring red eyes.

"So lovely of you to join me," she spoke softly.

The figure that took a seat next to her leaned forward and the blue light of the disc revealed his brown face. He had lean and short black hair accompanied by perfect round lips and a strong flat forehead. His beauty glimmered in baby blue.

"And yet again you summon us to this the most ancient of grounds since before the days of Elysium. Whether by catastrophe or some diabolical evil we shall always gather here, and move the puzzle pieces of the world to our liking. Tell me, what now shall be terraformed?" His dazzling smile was blinding and so was the sparkle of his venom coated teeth.

Bella coughed a laugh. "All in good time Olokun," she replied to him.

"The days grow short," a female voice echoed from the other side of Bella, "and winter's chill lingers towards the north. The dark days are upon us and yet my heart smiles at your sight Celest Alathielle." A beautiful woman leaned out of the shadows. Her long black curled hair fell far down beneath her bosom. Her sanguinary eyes were covered with long dark lashes like Bella's along with a perfect straight nose and naturally pouted lips. She smiled delighted.

"Far too many centuries have passed since we last locked eyes with one another. Too distant have we grown from each other and should be disciplined for our discrimination. But alas, let us raise the chalices of gold and drink at his reunion with the cocktail of man." Bella and Olokun both smiled at the black headed vampire.

"I see you are still a drunk Rusalka," Bella laughed silently. Rusalka shrugged her shoulders femininely letting her short chin touch one side of them.

Another male vampire came out of the shadows promoting his looks. His round face was surrounded by lengthy long and straight black air. There were flat round lips that were serious and acute while above them stood a flat and pointy nose. Two thin layers of eyebrows stood perfectly atop his lemon shaped eyes.

"When last the winds whispered of you, a tedious plague of moon children invaded the Germanic peoples. The moon was high and waxed in blood of their howls. Care to comment?"

Bella grinned. "Worthless semantics and a vast mirage of politics were the building blocks of their short lived reign. I unleashed the dam and they washed away with their broken dignity. Then again, you should know all about that, no Tamula?"

He nodded pleased.

"Why do I sense the coming end of a fruitless age and the birth of a new golden dynasty? What dragons gave such stamina to your legs?" The darkness dimmed and another lord of old revealed himself.

His squinted red eyes were glamorized by the shining light. He looked like an ancient but young emperor of China. Curiously his white fingers were nuzzled at his chin. The light of the moon unveiled a dark blue hue in his short black cropped hair.

"The ones that breathe not fire but hope Kao-Guojiu."

A woman next to Kao emerged with over powering beauty. Her lengthy golden locks matched Rusalka's in length. Her round eyes were surrounded by what seemed a natural light layer of violet eye-shadow. She lifted some of her fair locks behind her round ears. Her long thin lips began to speak.

"Whenever this place was lit with light, decisions were made that transformed the fate of the entire vampire domain. Now I wonder what type of incantation will be put forth this day."

The other vampire lords shared in the curiosity of Conterra.

"Revelations and a new hull for our purpose is what I seek to create dear friend." Conterra nodded to Bella's surprising words.

"Well, well, well, be the mountains turned to ash and the sea parted in half. I do recall a small wager I had foreboded of your coming doom. I do recall stating that you would be the first to try and escape our inevitable fate," the next to last vampire lord to appear laughed.

His mischievous smile came into sight and glowed at Bella victoriously. The chestnut brown curls on his head gave him boyishly good looks. With his wide apple shaped eyes he stared Bella down, beaming.

"I woud not call it doom but rather rebirth Pilirin. Hold your amusement because I do believe you will lose your wager," Bella laughed back at him. Pilirin's laugh faded into a competitive look.

"Please," the last shadowy figure said. "This will be a triumphant night. We must decide a new path for ourselves. Unfortunately the hourglass has already been turned and time is slipping away. We must deliberate, and hasten our verdict." Apotamkin was the last to appear in the circle.

They were all in the light and gathered like the Knights of the Round Table. A grand decision had to be made and they all had to vote. For over two millennia they had not met fully, but the time had come for them to select a newer road. At last they had gathered. Every single one of them hurried to Bella's summit. The courtship was complete and now here in Stonehenge, England, were the oldest and most powerful of all vampires; the vampire lords. And to boot, the spirit of the ancient ancestors Bella had invoked.

"What exactly has occurred for us to be called from the corners of the skyways?" Olokun asked. Apotamkin acknowledged his question with a quick bow of the head before turning his attention to Bella. The others followed suit and watched Bella. Pilirin, already savoring his victory over the wager made between him and Bella comfortably rested in his seat with his arms crossed over his chest, and hands beneath his pits.

Bella swiftly glanced at all their inquiring faces before using the courage she had built up. "We have become obsolete in our resolve my fellow lords. I feel our strength waning from our absence of the light. We have spent the last two hundred life ages of man in hiding, not only from humanity but from our own as well.

I arrived here today with a proposition for you. I pray you listen and give serious consideration to my proposal."

The vampire lords exchanged brief glimpses with one another pondering in the mystery Celest spoke of. Apotamkin gave Bella a promoting look before she refocused on the issue. She felt utterly nervous to suggest the mere idea but nevertheless, she had enough of this life.

"I propose that after two thousand years we step out of myth and legends and rejoin the world." She felt the heavy burden on her shoulders being lifted and felt much more relaxed now. She had expected them to gasp and be shocked but instead they remained silent and in control of their emotions.

Bella took time to look at each of their faces. One immortal face after another she looked into trying to read their thoughts. The irony she thought, if only Edward were here. But not even he could break their mental defenses. _If only_ her mind whispered. She inhaled hopeful, soon enough she thought.

"I must tell the truth and say that my heart has much desired this. Many times have I dreamt of unhinging the chains and spreading my wings but I lacked the conviction. However, hearing this from you Celest I must admit is stupefying." Olokun shared his view.

"Hmpf," Kao snickered. "There is no cause without reason. I believe I speak for all of us when I implore you to tell us what shifted you to this sudden change of heart."

Once more their crimson eyes lay on her. Would they think it to be selfish? But if not for love then for what? What else in the world has strength enough to defeat their stubborn minds?

"I had a dream. The western waters heaved and cloaked the earth in their wet bodies. I chased the Moriatus across the new world and deep into the western hemisphere. When I arrived I found the abomination and erased its light."

"Abraxas is dead?" Tamula interfered. Bella nodded expressionlessly. For the first time since the meeting began Tamula smiled. "Very good then, one of the last remaining of their elders has been slain. Infighting will be assured."

"The event however did not produce this thought in my mind," Bella countered. She knew them too well. All besides Apotamkin would have thought that with the slaughter of another Moriatus elder, coming out in the world and gathering vampires under one roof to strike would be preferred.

"With much hardship I have to admit that… I have been wrong and deceived myself." Bella had a difficult time keeping her composure.

"Never in all my years would I even admit this to myself least of all to anyone else even you my brethren. But I do believe I find myself in the shadow of envy."

Pilirin's smug smile fainted while the lips of the lords parted bewildered. They looked to each other for answers but found none.

"Explain," Rusalka said.

Bella swallowed the pool of venom in her mouth and confessed what she could not to Edward. "You see, I encountered a vampire coven in the new world. They are all young vampires, babes, but I cannot withhold the envy I felt. My feelings contended with my better judgment. They live their life's out in the open as we once did whilst clinging on their secret. Now, the life has turned them weak and away from our ways causing some disturbing results.

They sustain themselves on the diet of mammals other than humans. However, their strength is made up in the bonds of family and love much like what this courtship was made out of. It was there I had the opportunity to meet a vampire that unwillingly showed me that there might yet be strength left in the race of man."

Pilirin snorted, "YOU? You of all vampires?" Pilirin shared his unbelieving shock with the rest of the group.

"Pilirin, these vampires have been heavily affected by humanity. They live the way they do to benefit not just themselves but also human's. Something must linger in the filth of mortality that is so beautiful that leads these creatures away from their inner monsters. Humans have unwittingly infiltrated them to the point in which they try to coexist with them. We lived like that once."

Rusalka shifted in her seat suspiciously, "There is more. Something else you are denying us."

Bella nodded agreeing. "Yes. There is one other reason. I have to confess that I find myself… smitten." Rusalka blinked repeatedly replaying the words in her head.

"Come again?" Rusalka asked. Bella lowered her head taking in deep breaths. There was nothing to be ashamed of, correct? Is not every being entitled to love? She has seen the longing in their eyes too over the many years. Would they not want what she found?

"I have fallen in love Rusalka."

Stonehenge fell silent. The light peering from the blue sphere embedded in the ground shone high into the sky meeting the rays of the moon. Dark clouds surrounded Luna's glance with the occasional threatening rumble.

In the distance, many yards away from Stonehenge walked an old drunk. The homeless man stumbled and nearly fell over himself several times. His yellow coat was covered in filth and mud, and his short gray beard was covered in bits of food and slobber. In his right hand he held a bottle wrapped in brown paper. The whiskey was active on his breath.

He wobbled about trying to keep his drunken behind of the fields without any idea where he was heading. He rubbed the snot of his nose and coughed, spitting chew unto the ground. His eyes were glassy and it was obvious he was extremely intoxicated.

It was hard for him to keep his eyes open and focus in on anything. His vision was blurry from the alcohol. He recognized Stonehenge in the distance, somewhat, and saw a blue light like a beacon radiating from it. He rubbed his eyes tiredly and defeated trying to improve his vision.

He blinked shutting his eyelids momentarily; trying to regain focus but the liquor had gotten to his head.

"Mother of God," he whispered with a strong English accent. Were his eyes deceiving him?

Suddenly in front of him he watched Stonehenge vibrating like it was out of phase. The large pillars were moving from side to side, fluctuating. He watched baffled as slowly but surely Stonehenge began to disappear. He fluttered his eyes while his six remaining teeth hung out of his mouth.

As if Merlin's hands were in this, Stonehenge dimmed and faded out; disappearing completely. It was like a layer of an invisible cloak had thrown itself over it.

The drunkard looked at his bottle of whiskey smelling the sweet fragrance of the alcohol.

"Oh bloody hell," he stated with a horse and deep voice. He threw the bottle of liquor away and quickly wavered on unable to walk in a straight line.

"First I'm being chased by crickets with some foot illness then the bottles in the liquor store turn into a rendition of Be Our Guest and now I'm seeing rocks disappear. I have got to stop drinking."

The vampire lords unaffected by the unpleasant smelling human in the distance had their entire attention fixed on Bella. She looked in their eyes trying to predetermine their reactions but for once was at loss.

"What is his name?" Conterra asked smiling. Bella returned her smile with hope reignited within her.

"Edward Cullen," Bella declared proudly.

Conterra smiled brilliantly. "That's a kingly name."

Olokun grasped his chin, stroking it while deep in thought. "Is he the only reason for this?"

Bella shook her head. "No. He was merely the last piece of the puzzle."

"Puzzle?" Apotamkin asked.

"For years I have reexamined our life and found many aspects of it exaggerated. Of course at the time when the last decision fell to become literally extinct it was necessary. We had to make labor behind the curtains for us to rebuild what had to be established. The very essence of Elysium depended on our secrecy. Not to mention the Volturi…"

"Ah," Kao gasped. "Please, there shall be no adversity concerning them. How many members truly belong to their ranks after all? What Aro has we gifted him with. And all we give we can also take away."

"I agree," Pilirin added. "The Volturi will present us with no resistance. Aeolus was told about his dark offspring. We all saw the risk in Aro and his greedy thirst for domination. But then again it was the most suitable weapon to use against him. He wanted power and we gave it to him. He is nothing without his _collections._"

"Are they not currently bound for the new world?" Tamula asked.

"Yes," Apotamkin replied. "Small legions of newborns were being created in the American city of Seattle. In order to stop it I dispatched them. Unfortunately I was ignorant to the fact that the covenant Celest described is in the immediate surroundings. And it appears that Aro has gone with his champions on some personal crusade."

Apotamkin threw Bella an apologetic look. "If I had known what I do now I would have made contact with you first dear sister, and I'm sure a better strategy could have been forged."

Bella grinned crookedly, a habit she had before but was multiplied by Edward having the same tendency. "There is nothing to apologize for. You lend me your ears when I needed them most."

Apotamkin smiled revealing his sharp pearl like teeth and bowed in a notion of "you're welcome".

"I feel as though we are not filled in on all the details. Apotamkin you seem to be much more educated than us on this," Pilirin stated skeptically.

"He is," Bella continued. "I had a small outburst causing a bit of destruction around me."

"I was right then," Rusalka claimed. "I told you," she said to Conterra. She agreed now nodding.

"I felt you too," Tamula concluded. Pilirin, Kao, and Olokun joined in with nods of their own.

"From the way it felt I have a crucial time believing the devastation was a mere _bit._" Olokun said trying to hold a chuckle.

Bella simply smiled but didn't respond to their agreements. She lowered her head to the ground straining her mind for all the possible outcomes of the decision they are about to make. Vampire's would have a whole new world to explore. They would be offered an entire new way of life if they wanted it. They would be able to travel the path much sooner and in doing so find eternal bliss much sooner. But what of those that would misuse it.

"What are you thinking?" Apotamkin asked her.

Bella sighed after just having a terrible thought. "I surmise that many vampires would be grateful to know origin. They would flood Elysium wanting to begin their journeys."

"Yes," Rusalka smiled happily. "But…" she began.

Bella finished her started sentiment. "But what of those that would want to use that divine power for selfish purposes. When they uncover the truth of what was kept from them they might just demand ascension."

"They will never receive it," Tamula debated. "No one can walk the path without the three essentials. Vampires dedicate their immortalities for the precise moment when they finally reach enlightenment and join the ranks of the ascended. There is no easy way around it. They could not hope for enlightenment to be given to them. The universe is vast; they have to choose whether or not they wish to become one with it."

"Tamula is right Celest," Olokun agreed. "Ascension is not about power of the fist but the power of the mind. This is why wisdom is one of the essentials. With the proper wisdom at hand one understands that ascension is only the beginning of the true journey. Besides, the ones already on the path are more than a match for any foe, and they will defend their keep."

"I agree," Bella said. "Yet, the mere thought of violence over our sacred path stirs me. We cannot condone a course of action that will lead us to another war. Not over this."

Conterra pouted her lips confused. "I see no point why to despair. If we choose to relinquish ourselves of our life's and return to the world we knew it does not mean that any and every vampire would want ascension. True, that if they comprehended what they dealt with they would have no chance of denial. But the chance that a large portion of the vampire population will have no interest is high as well."

Pilirin consented to Conterra's explanation. "I agree. Too many of our kind find pleasure in immortality without giving thought to eternity. Some may not even want it. However, news of our return would spread like a wildfire. There might be those who would want to challenge us."

"Ha ha," Olokun laughed. "Once we eradicate the Volturi, which is the one thing they all fear, they would not dare to show defiance."

"Yes, it should also be noted that no one knows where Elysium is other than us and the ones on the road. And they would perish under the pain of torture before betraying us and themselves."

"You all sound so convinced already. As though you have already made your choices," Bella declared. She saw smiles all around her. They all seemed engulfed with ideas for the future. What would the world be like if they came back? Could they truly predict the outcome?

"It makes sense Celest," Olokun was attempting to convey her. "If we rid ourselves of the Volturi and return to power some vampires might pilgrimage again and will seek enlightenment. More vampires would come to the cause and begin their journeys. One day they would ascend to join the ranks of the other ascended and bolster their collective power. It might just be what they need to hinge a permanent solution for Chaos. It would free us of him."

With Olokun's words of truth spoken a new atmosphere moved through the lords. Suddenly their eyes glistened with a foreign glow. There was a longing Olokun had just lit in them. The very chance to purge themselves of the devilry that lay beneath their chest's and finally be able to move on was… beyond attraction.

Every day they endured the intimidating thought of what would happen should they fail and Chaos' soul was released back into the ether. Only one of them had to fall for what they feared to happen all over again.

"We vote then," Rusalka finally said.

"Already?" Bella asked. She watched several nods from around her. Apotamkin giggled.

"I told you I or rather we waited for anyone of us to finally break."

Bella sighed shaking her head. "If we are to return to power we have to convince ourselves that we won't turn to tyrants over our fellow vampires. You all know what worship does to us, all vampires."

The vampire lords fell silent. They all revisited their memories of the old world, and that very dark place in time that had turned them into true monstrosities that fed upon the need of being worshipped.

"Long ago the world was in peril of being consumed by flame and revenge because of our need to enslave humanity. It was our false godhood that began the War of Wars," Bella raised herself from her seated position.

"When we all finally realized the tremendous error of our ways we spend millennia containing and ending those wars. We spend eras eradicating all evidence of our kind. Then we went underground and become nothing but a whisper. WE VOWED NEVER TO ALLOW SUCH A MISTAKE AGAIN! Are we certain that if we were to return this would not happen again?

Vampire lords or not, WE ARE THE ANCIENTS! DIE URALTEN! Have we truly turned away from all that archaism? Have we studied and learned from those ages? We have spend years in the void between worlds and now we are about to decide to step back out. Are we truly qualified for this? Who's to say our primordial minds will not long for those elderly days?

Do you all remember the bloodshed? Can you remember the screams of innocent women, and CHILDREN as their bones were severed and fed upon? Remember how they used to let them live and slowly drain their elixir? And of course the blood of innocence was the sweetest. CHILDREN AND YOUNG ADULTS! CAN YOU REMEMBER THEIR WEEPING SOBS AS LIFE WAS LEAVING THEM?"

The vampires listening looked to the ground shameful. Apotamkin buried his face in his hands at the ghastly recollections.

"We were evil. We took everything from humanity until they had but each other. Remember the fearful women clinging to their children? Remember how were tore them away despite their pleas and tears? When we lifted a single finger and sliced the children in half and threw their corpses at their mothers?

Remember caging them and slaying entire families but one? When a single child stood over the deceased bodies of their parents, brothers, and sisters? Remember biting their necks and forcing their families to drink from them? I will never be able to rid myself of those memories. What's worse? Though I never committed these crimes I see them as clearly as I do you in my mind because we witnessed them, and did nothing about it."

A chilly and ominous breeze rushed through their agonized forms. The memory of the War of Wars was a curse to possess. The unspeakable sins committed were beyond any chance of redemption. Though the vampire lords had never engaged in such atrocities they retained the memory of their kind that had. They lords carried out their own sets of massacres across the world back then yes; however nothing matched the heinous crimes of the War of Wars.

"Are we better than that?" Bella asked. "Have we learned of the faults of the ancestors; THE ANCESTORS that are with us in this very moment and THE ANCESTORS that I have invited to this meeting? Can you feel the disgrace in the air?"

The chilly breeze continued to blow. But Bella and the others didn't recognize the wind as a mere current but as the very breath of the ancients. Were the vampire lords strong enough to resist the temptation of human worship?

"I'll tell you. WE ARE BETTER THAN THAT!" Bella yelled at them. She caught their attention as their faces fixed on her. Bella began to walk in circles around the blue light in the heart of Stonehenge passing by each lord.

"We silenced the demons within. We learned to live without taking life. For centuries we have shown great charity by assisting others on finding enlightenment. We gave them courage and hope and walked the very first miles in the journey with them. We watched them reach the very moment they had meditated for after countless generations and ascend to a higher plane of existence. We have adverted human catastrophes' to protect the very thing we began to loath.

We have absorbed the original evil of the world to safeguard the very life of Gaia. AND NEVER did we ask for anything in return. Our motives were driven by selfless actions. Because we wished for deliverance from the scales our fellow ancients had coated us in. Our conscious and immortal souls sought a path to redeem ourselves; OUR ENTIRE SPECIES!

Have we succeeded I ask you? Have we proven to be better than humanity, more advanced? Are we not the angels that have guarded and watched over this world time after time? We turned moot any and every possible threat. We did not only preserve vampires and humans but us as well"

The atmosphere was shaded in speechlessness. They all listened intently to Bella's words with a new Utopian dream rising in their eyes.

"After all these millennia ladies and gentlemen, for once, I ask the gods of old for a favor and my first selfish act since the dawn of modern civilization. My cherished friends, ye who joined me in this circle and have not left me barren. I wish to love again. But true love that I had nearly forgotten could even flow through these old veins. It's a different type of love that we share, the brand that is intimate, sweet, passionate, and as eternal as we."

Bella had completed an "all around" the vampires and stopped before her seat. She viewed the mixed emotions on their faces counting on the sincerity in her words. Her mind bled with the hope that they would all reach a mature decision by considering all the stakes of this once choice. Bella spoke her final words bringing the summit to its final minutes.

"Continue to live in the shadows or fight and live with your sorrow, and sire a new dawn for yourselves. Decide now or never speak of this again."

The hour of verdicts had come. If they would oppose this altering decision now Bella swore to never speak of it again. Old things really have no room for change but once in a while, every few millennia or so they leap onward. Bella watched closely as Olokun rose from his seat and took a deep breath. He gazed at all their faces before uttering his choice.

"Aye," his voice sang. He smiled and glowed at Bella.

Apotamkin came next. "You knew my vote from the very beginning Celes… Bella," he smiled. "Aye."

Their brows pushed together confounded at the name Apotamkin called Celest by. Rusalka got up next and rested her hand on Bella's shoulder. "You have lead us this far and never taken us astray. I believe in your belief. It gives me security. Aye." She said. Bella placed her hand on top of Rusalka's on her shoulder, squeezing tightly.

"There is no possible way for us to morph into the next Athena's and Ra's. We have what they did not, a purpose. Aye." A pride filled Conterra voiced her decision.

"This will be the golden dynasty for all too share. Our palace will be grand and called Elysium once again for all to know. No matter how harshly the winds will blow at us, we, the mountains will not bow to them. Aye." Kao-Guojiu pronounced.

"We shall be whole again. Let love not blind us from our mission. Yet still, we shall love hard once more." Tamula announced following suit and standing up. "Aye."

The last vampire lord, Pilirin, who had yet to be heard, sat diligently in his seat staring at Bella playfully. He laughed quietly shaking his head and towered like the rest of them. He pushed his hands in the pockets of his blue pants smiling tauntingly. He answered their patient eyes with a simple tweak of his brows.

"I'm in."

A single smile bred at once on all their faces. Their magnificence could be compared to a sunrise. Their actions would be divine, their transformation untamable, and their vengeance inconceivable.

"We have less than a day," Apotamkin reported to Bella. She nodded.

"By twilight tomorrow…" she began. The other chiefs looked at her revitalized.

"… WE RISE."

**(Authors Note) - So I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I had a good time writing it since I've been wanting to introduce the other Vampire Lords so badly. Please review as always and voice any opinions or comments you might have. If you ain't a member, make up a name and review :)! Until next time. **


	41. Chapter 40

The Whirlwind

(Third Person Point of View)

Alice paced nervously. On the fourth and last story of the Cullen mansion Alice walked a permanent line back and forth in her and Jasper's room. Her hands were interlocked over her face covering her nose and mouth. There was a foreboding sense of hostility somewhere far deep in her mind where her visions were sired. The Goliath of a storm still spread threateningly across the horizons, devouring as it goes. Alice's body trembled with alertness.

_Only three hours left_ she thought distressed. The Volturi had already arrived in Seattle hours ago and were scouring the city like phantoms in the night for any newborns they could find. In her visions she already foreshadowed the demise of them and the swift compromise. Yet, her premonitions showed Aro keeping some of them alive. She saw Victoria on her knees and three others as well. Behind them was a roaring and sizzling flame and a pile of ash. Aro was interrogating them for information as to why Victoria was formulating such a small elite. It was strange, all too strange. Why would Aro be asking questions? Why did he spare a handful of the newborns? Why didn't he erase them from existence as they usually do? They have their maker so why keep them?

Alice couldn't see into Aro's mind, unfortunately. But she was for sure that they would soon make their way to Forks with Victoria and the newborns in tow. Victoria would spill it all. She would want this. What an idiotic woman Alice thought. How could she be so ignorant? Alice had already seen her confessions. Victoria had told Aro everything even after he touched her skin and took it all. The shocked response on his face made Alice worry, tremendously.

Aro's eyes were wide in her vision after he shook hands with Victoria. Undoubtedly he watched through Victoria's eyes as Bella healed Jasper. Certainly he was abashed by the Moriatus. Alice wouldn't know whether or not Aro knew of their existence or not. According to Bella the Moriatus were scarce and renegades. But Carlisle didn't know them and he was once part of the Volturi. But Alice was positive that most of Aro's attention was directed towards Bella.

Still, the revelation of the newborns and Victoria, the Volturi, and their arrival did not pulse these overwhelming feelings of fear in Alice. It was the future that she fretted.

Carlisle and Esme were contemplating and were relatively sure to leave Forks for the encounter. Their most dire concern was protecting the town's people. The newborns were still in their rage and would feed if they came across a human. Not to mention the Volturi's thirst would they choose to hunt. The Cullen's had to remain incognito they all thought. Carlisle suggested moving into the forest and facing the Volturi there. He deliberated over the baseball field being a good location. But then what?

Alice had tried, and tried, and tried again to see the outcome of their actions but the future was distorted. She went over it in her head again, and again, and again. She saw them in the clearing, which was genuine. The Volturi were there too and the atmosphere didn't seem tense. Carlisle and Aro both wore smiles with Aro even seemingly overjoyed. There was chitchat obviously before they moved on to more serious issues. But then…

The sky was enveloped in the darkness of the storm and strong winds gusted through the clearing capturing the attention of all its inhabitants. Suddenly mist moved through the forest creating a sphere around the clearing, like a bubble. The mist was so thick. And never had she seen it appearing so abruptly. And then… everything went black.

Alice sighed frustrated dragging her fingers down her face. What was it? Were the Volturi seeking vengance for the newborns and using the opportunity while all the others were distracted to strike? No that didn't make sense Alice thought. Aro and Caius showed the same confusion on their faces as Carlisle and the others did. There was something else on its way Alice thought suspiciously.

Alice was slightly startled when the door behind her creaked. Jasper poked his head in surprising her.

"Jasper," Alice exclaimed. He smiled pleasantly. Jasper walked across the room joining Alice.

"Did I startle you?" He asked smiling. Alice cocked her head to the side copying his gesture.

"I was just deep in thought that's all." Jasper nodded acknowledging.

"I think we all are. It's quite a tense ambience around here especially with the clock ticking down to the last few minutes."

"Has Carlisle decided for sure yet? I suppose I already know but I'm just double checking."

Jasper raised one of his brows leery like. "Yes. We're going with his first suggestion and will be moving up to higher ground and away from the town. This way the people in town won't get wind of anything that'll be going on."

"Ah," Alice answered. She hardly paid attention to what he was saying. She was just trying to make conversation as a decoy for what she was really thinking about.

_CRACK_

Jasper and Alice turned to the window in a flash as lighting struck across the sky. Alice hastily walked over to the window glancing outside. The storm was directly over them. There was something unnatural about this weather occurrence Alice thought. The clouds looked so dark and tainted. The entire surface of the sky was covered. No matter if to the right or the left the horizon was black.

"Insane isn't it?" Jasper asked. He moved to stand directly behind Alice and wrapped his arm around her waist placing a small kiss on her head. Alice chuckled.

"You're so calm considering the circumstances." Alice felt Jasper shrugging his shoulders behind her.

"Can't explain it," he whispered against her head.

Alice could explain it. Bella's venom ran through his veins and had renovated him. He was more powerful than he had ever been. His Empathy was off the charts along with his physical strength, speed and stamina. Alice wondered if Bella had imprinted some of her habits on him too, her feelings maybe.

"This storm is so eerie," Alice murmured.

"Yeah, it's been all over the news," Jasper stated. Alice blinked struck. She turned around in Jaspers arms facing him fully.

"Come again?" Alice asked shocked. Jasper nodded agreeing with his prior assessment.

"They said that the storm just appeared out of nowhere sometime yesterday. If it hadn't been for orbital observation they might not have seen it. They said that the storm is gargantuan. It's big enough to spread over the entire state of Washington and Oregon. It also covers a massive portion of the Pacific. They're calling it the storm of the century."

"What?" Alice asked appalled.

"Yes," Jasper concurred again. "You haven't had a chance to watch the news?"

Alice shook her head vigorously. "No, no I haven't." Jasper sighed agitated and gave Alice a scolding look. Alice smiled innocently.

"Well, their baffled, stunned even." Alice brows pushed together confounded.

"Why?" She asked.

Jasper inhaled deeply. "Well because they can't determine what the storm is suppose to produce. They say it's capable of heavy rain, 130 mph winds, record snow fall, hail, twisters, and everything else in the book. Not to mention the intense lighting strikes that could knock out the power supply to the state."

Alice grew an angry expression while Jasper spoke. "And they just noticed this now?"

"Like I said, it appeared out of nowhere." Alice unlocked herself out of Jasper's embrace and began pacing back and forth in the room again.

"So what are their precautions? Are they evacuating the citizens?" Jasper shook his head.

"They say it's too late for that because the storm's ready to strike soon. They advised boarding up houses, covering up cars or parking them in garages, and moving your pets inside."

"JESUS," Alice proclaimed. How could such a storm go unnoticed? Alice seemed more convinced than ever that the storm wasn't the making of Mother Nature herself. She glimpsed out the window and stared into the darkness. Alice hugged herself while feelings of discomfort showered all over her.

"What's wrong?" Jasper asked sensing her tenseness. Alice gasped weakly. Her mind was copious with crushing thoughts and feelings that she received from the storm itself. It was as if the storm was alive, an entity.

"Jasper it's just that I don't get a good feeling from this storm. It's not a vision per say but an emotion that I can't put my finger on. On one side it's malignant and evil but then on the other side it feel's refreshing and renewing."

Jasper looked to Alice confounded.

"I just feel like there is something coming; something that goes beyond the understanding of any of us; something so big that it will have an impact on all of us, us being vampires." Alice turned away from Jasper.

Somehow she felt ashamed of not knowing more. Her gift had spoiled the lot of them and herself. Not knowing what was coming to pass was blocking. She couldn't put the storm in words. It seemed like a beginning, a prologue to something of bigger consequence. Did Bella have anything to do with it? She didn't see Bella in their future. Then again the future was blank. She couldn't see any of their futures. Were they to perish, truly?

"You too then?" Alice snapped out of her self-absorbed stage and whipped around to look at Jasper.

"What?" She asked. Now Jasper appeared tense. His form was frigid and his red eyes troubled.

"Alice," he began, "there _is_ something coming. I didn't want to worry any of you that's why I kept it concealed. There is something heading our way and it's not the Volturi. I literally feel something or someone pushing onward. I mean it's hard to explain but I can feel the soil beneath my feet, and the wind crashing up on my face like I'm running. I feel anticipation, and I sense an unrequited need for preservation."

Alice stepped closer to Jasper dumbfounded. His spooked face made her distress. Both of them sensed something the others couldn't. Were their talents responsible for detecting something disturbing on the air?

"There is something else," Jasper muttered. Alice's face was open to anything that could shed light unto her own turmoil.

"What?" She asked him.

"This is not the first time this particular storm happened." Alice gasped.

"What? Did you do some cross-referencing on the Internet with past storms?" Alice contravened rapidly.

Jasper stood by the window with his eyes closed, searching through the fragments of memories that Bella had inadvertently passed on to him. Jasper tried to seek out the memory that had hit him when he saw the dark giant for the first time. It was difficult to summon it again but eventually his effort was rewarded. There was a picture in his mind. He couldn't tell during what period of time the storm had spread over the world though.

He saw the storm clearly. But then the image went blurry and out of focus. He saw prodigious stone structures, several.

"Jasper! Tell me as you remember," Alice implored him. She had realized that it had to be something Bella passed on to him. Alice along with Jasper alone knew Bella's tragedy of the deadly tsunami that had buried her home alongside her husband and child. Jasper had to confide in Alice in order to release the sorrow he felt from Bella's misfortune. Strangely though, Alice did not appear surprised.

"I can see the storm as clearly as I can see you. The image then fluctuates and switches to something else. I see pillars that might be made of stone. There is a blue flame somewhere in there. I can see several figures surrounding the blue flame. One of them is definitely Bella."

"How do you know?" Alice asked him. Jasper smiled.

"I can feel it."

"Okay…" Alice giggled. "What else?"

Jasper opened his eyes and saw Alice on her tip toes looking directly into his eyes.

"That's it." Alice sank groaning. Her fingers reached to one of her temples, and messaged it trying to ease the worry.

"Were you expecting something more?" Jasper asked her with a crooked grin.

"Well, maybe just a little," Alice said while positioning her thumb and index finger close to each other with barely any room in-between. Jasper laughed quietly.

"Well actually there is more as a matter of fact." Alice's eyes grew wide.

"Though I can barely see anything in my memories about the storm I can most definitely feel that this storm isn't what it appears to be. I think that the storm is a cloak or distraction for something else."

"Do what?" Alice asked confounded yet again.

Jasper walked over towards Alice and took her hand in his. He led them over to the bed and sat them both down. Jasper exhaled nervously. He looked into Alice's golden orbs that were already fixed upon his scar free face.

"Alright bear with me here. I've been trying to come up with a hypothesis myself. Now let me ask you. What do storms do?"

Alice sat up straight next to Jasper agreeing mentally to accompany him to wherever he was trying to take her. Storms, storms? There are several things that storm can be responsible for she thought intrigued.

"Well, storms can obviously cause destruction. They can cause water levels to rise so floods could be contributed to them. They can cause twisters, snow, lighting, and lighting strikes." Alice stopped when she saw Jasper shaking his head.

"What other crucial effect can storms have?"

Alice stared at him flustered. What was he trying to get at she thought. Storms are most noticeably responsible for weather anomalies. They can cause power grids to fail though, here and there.

"They can cause blackouts." Jasper nodded pleased. "Keep going down that way."

"Their winds can cause the electricity to fail. Storms can cause interference…"

"RIGHT THERE." Alice jumped in her seat when Jaspers voice suddenly transformed into a much louder version than its usual self.

"Interference, yes, the news said that the storm might be knocking out radio communications across the entire state. Their saying that the storm is so thick that for a time being all the satellites in orbit will see only the storm itself and the states beneath will disappear. The storm is much like a geomagnetic storm in nature. It will even affect military hardware."

"So…" Alice began. Jasper smiled brilliantly.

"So? So I think that the storm isn't natural. I think that it was produced. I think that the storm is a shield."

"A shield," Alice asked. "What in the world would that be good for? Shield what in particular?"

Jasper pointed his finger right at Alice's nose. "You just answered your own question. The storm would be cutting off this entire area from the rest of the world. No communications, no contact to the outside world, and none of the above. I truly think that this storm was designed to hide something from the rest of the globe."

Alice's face contorted misbelieving. "But if you said that this storm happened before then that doesn't make any sense. We don't know when the storm happened however from the surprise of the media we can tell that it wasn't recently. And just a few centuries ago humanity didn't have the technology they have now…"

"Like I said," Jasper countered. "It's just a theory."

_CRACK_

Another loud and bright bang of rolling thunder roared through the sky. The intensity of the force had both Alice and Jasper on their feet. Jasper's eyes traced the sharp and dangerous edges of the threatening whirlwind outside. With Alice in the lead they bounced back to the window quickly. Strong breaths vibrated through both their lungs that had no interest or need for air. Jasper felt pressed with both of their anxieties pouring down on him. The angst pulsing down beneath from the other Cullen's made his physical state all the worse.

Alice's head moved back and forth, her lips quivering uneasy. It was as though the entire world was scared to death of this one storm. Though the storm caused much of an uproar with its lightning bolts the bulldozing gales had not yet appeared. It was the silence before the storm, and what a monstrosity it was. The very forest was immobilized and not a sound could be heard from the wild life. They sensed what they apparently couldn't. They had a better understanding of what was coming.

Jasper placed his hand on Alice's shoulder spraying her with waves of serenity and peace. But not even his comforting emotions could put her to rest.

"Oh Jasper, what's happening in the world?" Alice's small voice cried.

Jasper didn't answer. He wished he had a better understanding of it. If only Bella had by accident given him more that he could draw upon. If he could only analyze that memory, that feeling of this storms prior appearance. Pieces of the puzzle however were missing and the whole couldn't possibly be put together.

"I feel something else you know…" Jasper whispered, trying to take upon a new avenue. Alice glanced at him demoralized and defeated.

Jasper focused his eyes to look beyond the storm and far into the east. There was a bloody midnight moon rising beyond those ferocious clouds. A treacherous feeling entered his being of screams, horror, and death. Devil's wings had spread and were carrying unholy souls to the very farthest bowels of the underworld. A new power was rising.

Jasper jerked his head towards the eastern skies covered in darkness. Alice tried to follow his movement.

"What? What do you feel?"

A grim expression spread its passage across Jaspers chalky face. His eyes were low and dark.

"Retribution."

* * *

_Volterra, Italy_

INTRUDER, INRUDER! A soft feminine voice carrying over an intercom alarmed an entire underground facility causing panic. They were racing like flashes across their marble lobbies. One dark flash after another raced down the chaos stricken hallways of the Volturi headquarters. The voice continued to repeat its previous message over, and over again. There were intruders in Volterra, and already within the halls of the ancients.

A vampire with short, cropped, and black hair hurried down the hallways hissing and growling. Felix rushed down to the center of the Volturi stronghold.

He stampeded into the throne room finding Marcus on his throne with a calm and uncaring expression. He looked about himself finding a tall and bulky vampire flanking Marcus; Santiago. Afton was in the center of the room; his wavy red hair poked his eyes as he prepared his mental invisibility. Renata and Heidi too were in a close stance ready to defend against the unknown foe.

Within a second Felix had played the scenes out in his mind all over again. He saw nothing, conclusively. There was a small noise of disturbance near the entrance tunnel he had heard. He did not think of it too much at first until he perceived a piercing scream. The female echo emanated through the halls of the Volturi altering them all to whatever foul terror had entered their domain.

As Felix sped to the welcoming lobby he heard the distinct sound of something shattering and breaking. The scream turned to a screech. Then more screams appeared and were silenced by snapping noises, and slicing sounds. In the few seconds it took Felix to reach the lobby the carnage had already been dealt. Never in his few centuries as an immortal did he shiver with dread as he did in that very moment.

The human secretary Gianna had her head turned in a 360 degree angle around her neck. There were blue and purplish bruises covering her neck like pendants. Felix stared in horror when he saw the lifeless bodies of eight Volturi guards on the white lobby tarnished in pints of blood and venom. Their bodies were mutilated beyond repair. Most of them had been completely ripped asunder, right down in half. There was another that was severed at the torso and had his head stumped in. Felix spotted the body of young Marius sitting up against the mahogany desk. His body was perfectly preserved except for his missing head.

Suddenly a new set of screams assembled from above the lobby and from… the tower. Felix's mind convulsed in terror as the yells flew through his round ears.

_THE WIFES, _he thought terrified. He flew over the corpses of his comrades and ascended the stairs at top speeds. Aro would have his head if anything were to happen to Sulpicia or Athenodora. Caius would literally have him for brunch if they would be harmed in any way. As he glided up the stairs he felt himself praying to God, or any type of god that the wives of the ancients were unspoiled. If he had a heart beat, it would have certainly busted through his chest. Felix arrived at the very top of the staircase. He growled desperately when he found the two guards who were commissioned with the simple duty of guarding the door, decapitated.

With his foot Felix burst through the door. His eyes only caught the scene for a second before he howled and cried agonized. He held on to the frame of the gate. His body gave into his state of shock as he sank to the ground. He gripped his head, weeping and yelling uncontrollably. He did not dare to look at the scene again. For the better part of three thousand years the wives had been protected above anything else and never once did harm find them; until now.

The memory that only took a mere fraction of a second to be born in his mind was displayed like some great piece of art in a gallery. Sulpicia no longer had her beautiful and fair complexion. It had been completely torn off revealing the remainder of her brains and cranium. Athenodora was pinned to the brick wall by a burning torch through her cloth. However, only her upper body hung there like some ornament while her lower parts lay disfigured next to Sulpicia. Athenodora had been mugged of half her face. The half that was intact had pieces of skin dangling from her skull. They had been massacred.

What devilry was this? Was this the nightmare of a nightmare? If it were not for the scent of tainted blood in the air he would never believe what was playing out right in front of him.

The wives were dead, and gone. Aro and Caius would be devastated. Their lovely mates were forever gone but what caused this? What evanescent force streamed through these halls like a whirlwind? What hideous beasts could cause such grizzly crimes? Vampires perhaps? Impossible he thought. What vampires had such strength to do this?

Wearily he began hearing the bangs, growls and drilling shattering sounds from somewhere below. Felix looked away from the wives chambers and returned to his feet. Suddenly his mind was engrossed in the thought of Marcus. With fear he raced back down the long dwindling staircase to the throne room. He could not allow Marcus to be hurt. He had to at least save Marcus. Secretly he already plotted against whatever had caused this onslaught and vowed to rip them to pieces of nothing.

But what could have done this? Who could have been powerful enough to orchestrate such a vendetta? Who knew that the Volturi were temporarily split with the most prominent members in America? What was this whirlwind that like a barbaric twister made its way through their walls, killing as it went. Felix jumped over the railing and impacted the lobby with tremendous force causing cracks to destroy its delicate décor. He ignored the corpses of Gianna and his fellow guards and broke through the door into the throne room.

With his flashback completed Felix looked at Marcus with pure relieve. He shook off the feelings of content and slammed the door behind him.

"WHAT DO WE KNOW?" He bellowed. He counted the guards in the room quickly. There was himself, Renata, Heidi, Santiago, Afton, and perhaps only nine other members of the regular guard. He searched the room for any secret passages that hid the rest of the Volturi forces.

"Not much," Santiago answered. His muscular form was glazed in cold and dry sweat. Felix growled loudly making the walls shake.

"WHERE ARE ALL THE OTHERS?" Felix blared.

Santiago breathed uncertain. "I don't know. I didn't see anybody else coming in this room except for Renata and Heidi. There's a good chance that like everyone else out there that they might be…"

Felix unleashed his full hollering growl upon Santiago. "MIGHT BE WHAT?"

Now, with true fear in Santiago's eyes he shook his head ignorant to the transpiring events. "I don't know Felix. I think they're dead. On my way here I saw nothing but torn pieces EVERYWHERE!"

Felix dashed forward and slammed into Santiago with full force. He grabbed the vampire by the collar of his shirt and rattled him like a doll.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN PIECES?"

From the corner of his eyes Felix's anger calmed by a few layers when he saw Marcus arising from his seat. Marcus' face was framed by his black hair that suited his pleasant demeanor well. His visage was covered with joy and his red eyes were filled with tranquility, and he wore a light smile on his lips. Felix shoved the useless Santiago off to the side and took his position in front of the ancient.

"Maser Marcus what his happening?" Felix implored him. He watched Marcus' unchanging composure with much agitation. Marcus appeared drunk with his light smile.

Sounds were coming from all around the chambers. There was a low menacing snarl that seemed to sneak into the heavily guarded room. The noises came from the front door of the court and the two smaller doors behind the thrones. An atmosphere of weakness filled the room with the guard and the elite seeming trapped and powerless. Felix fixed his attention back to Marcus.

"MASTER, please! Whatever is happening has already claimed the life's of guards AND THE WIFES OF ARO AND CAIUS. SULPICIA AND ATHENODORA ARE DEAD!"

Finally Marcus paid some mind to the begging Felix before him. He smiled lovingly and cocked his head to the side. He nodded pitifully.

"I know dear child. I heard them screaming."

Felix gasped appalled. "Why didn't you act? Why did you let them die?"

Marcus pouted his lips. "Perhaps it was their time?" Felix shook his head outraged.

"How can you say this? They were the wives of your brothers?"

Marcus laughed delighted. "Nothing but filthy wrenches dear Felix, and dirty women never meet a gracious end."

Felix could not believe the words coming from Marcus' mouth. The ancient descended the few steps that lead to the upper base the thrones were positioned on. He could not rid himself of that jolly smile that encased his features. Marcus reached the floor and Felix watched in shock as Marcus lifted his hands in front of him like welcoming the intruders.

"Marcus," Felix attempted one final plea. "Master do you know what is happening? Who is causing all this death? Whoever these fiends are we seem no match for them. How can you so casually stand by and watch the creatures that have sworn an oath to protect you die? Do you wish for Aro to return to these halls void of life but filled with dismembered bodies? Do you wish us all to perish?"

Felix cringed unsettled when Marcus turned his head directly at him. His milky skin and ruby like eyes were lined with alien emotions of content. Marcus leaned closer to Felix staring him directly into his eyes; both casting each other's reflection in them.

"Why do you think I let them in?"

A loud burst interjected Felix's sheer fright when the primary front door to the throne room exploded and was ruptured from its hinges. A cloud of sawdust and rain of splinters fell on the vampires covering their fear filled bodies. Felix, Santiago, Heidi, and the rest of the guard peered through the falling debris.

Out from the dust stepped an ostentatiously beautiful vampire. Perhaps in his early or mid twenties, and with pure angelic features he looked down upon the guard whom were hooded in black. His blond, short, and wavy hair lay elegantly over his perfect face that would make any male super model self conscious. He dressed in a black suit with a dark blue button up shirt covering his strong chest.

He stepped forward, smiling devilishly with a sportsmen like physique. Marcus smiled brilliantly like meeting an old and lost friend.

"Ah, Gabrielle, as magnificent as the dawn, always," Marcus beamed at him. Gabrielle returned the smile with a flashy glow in his bloody eyes.

"And who else have you brought with you today?" Marcus inquired. From behind the dust five other figures appeared. They were all extraordinarily stunning.

A red headed young woman stepped over to stand next to Gabrielle. Her beauty was shunned in the presence of Gabrielle. Nevertheless, her straight red hear fell far to the center of her back and shimmered delicately. Her form was that of an hourglass.

"Morrigan," Marcus exhaled. Morrigan nodded in his direction pleased.

"And Xiu and Andromeda," Marcus announced happily. The two female immortals joined in Gabrielle and Morrigan's circle. Xiu's long black coiled hair bordered her petit round face. Her Chinese descent was clear to the Volturi guards. Andromeda's overwhelming copper colored locks hovered like waterfalls up on her chest. She looked like an ancient statue from Greece that had come alive.

Two more vampires appeared to stand next to Morrigan and out of the shadows.

"Well, Maximilian and Celestino, it is a great honor to see my friends again."

Felix shot Marcus a disbelieving look. Could these be the heathens that infringed on Volterra? Did these dogs nullify the guard and the wives? When the wives entered his thoughts again Felix flinched with revulsion.

"It seems as though you would be the last," Gabrielle declared. The Volturi gasped when his gentle musical voice rang through their walls. When his seraphic appearance took but two steps closer to the growling guard they could not help but retreat two or three steps.

"SO YOU ARE THE ONES THAT SLAUGHTERED THE VAMPIRES LYING DEAD OUT THERE?" Felix bellowed.

A slight giggle emerged from Morrigan standing at spear point in front of the other breath taking vampires behind her. "There is no need for hostility dear one."

Felix crouched on the ground spitting venom through his teeth, and clamoring deadly. Gabrielle raised his thin yellow brows mockingly. The taunt only enraged Felix and the other Volturi even further causing them to mimic Felix's stance.

Marcus closed in quickly behind Felix and snatched him by the back of his neck. He raised Felix off his feet and placed his lips next to his ear.

"Is that any way to treat our visitors?" Marcus, with full force, launched Felix to the ground making the marble tiles shake and split. Felix grunted with pain as cracks covered his face like the bed of a dried up river.

Felix lifted himself off the ground and held on to his abdomen. "Why Marcus? Why to do betray the institution of the Volturi?"

Marcus smirked at Felix. "Betray the Institution of the Volturi? Dear Felix do reflect on your vocabulary and word choice would you? How could I betray something I never believed in to begin with?"

The guards exchanged flabbergasting glimpses at each other, unable to coherently recognize Marcus' words.

"The Volturi have been nothing but puppets in the grand design of the Vampire Lords. Aro has been maneuvered like a henchman for the better part of three millennia. Much like you, he was nothing but a servant."

Felix shook his head distrusting the words spilled over Marcus' lips.

"Aro would have known of your defiance centuries ago. Aro has always made his decisions independently and without corruption," Felix argued.

Marcus laughed softly. "Of course it is what one would see if one was unaware of the chess pieces moving in secret along the edges."

Before Felix could open his mouth to debate Marcus intervened. "Aro never was a power in the vampire domain. And ever since he attempted the murder of his sister I have been his most dire adversary. Obviously, I could never have allowed him to know otherwise my position in the Volturi would have been compromised. Whilst Aro believed that Chelsea's emotional tie bound me to him I had already manifested my true allegiance."

"Aro would have known," Felix whispered menacingly.

Marcus chuckled. "We ancients are truly magnificent creatures. We are powerful and wise and after so many years traveling through the night develop many gifts. One of the most desired is the mental stability we form and defenses that hold the abilities of others at bay. Though I let him read my thoughts over and over again, never did I grant him the possibility to see what hid in the farthest reaches of my mind."

"Enough of this prelude," Gabrielle's voice sang. "Marcus my cherished friend, take your rightful stand on the side of Elysium."

Astonished and hateful the Volturi watched as Marcus gladly obliged Gabrielle's request and wandered peacefully over to the six pale faced vampires. Marcus folded his hands in front of his body and stood next to Xiu whom he smiled at with much solace.

The alluring Gabrielle walked forward until he stood before a boiling Felix. Felix snapped his teeth at him evilly. In return, Gabrielle grinned heavenly and at ease.

"Your extended life has been full of mayhem and intolerable deeds you executed in the dark. Should your soul be returned to the ether and cleansed, and should you be acceded another life I solemnly hope that next time…"

Suddenly Gabrielle unleashed a feral hiss and buried his hand beneath Felix's chest. Felix's eyes grew wide and he choked on his own breath. He stood frozen in place as Gabrielle's hand rotated in his granite chest. Gabrielle who yet still appeared so very angelic smiled with his lips widely parted and his razor sharp teeth exposed at Felix. His tongue lightly drove across his lower in venom waxed teeth.

"…that next time you will put a little heart into it." Gabrielle unburied his hand from Felix's chest and held a prize in his marble hand. A dead and beat less heart lay in the palm of his hand. "Grotesque, yes, however yet still dazzling isn't it?" He asked a suffocating Felix. Gabrielle smirked smoothly before his fingers retracted and crushed Felix's heart.

Gabrielle turned his body with his right foot out in front of him and pulled back his fist before rocketing it into Felix's face. The Volturi watched helplessly as Felix's body spun in mid air eventually anchoring on the ground. Half of Felix's face was gone, and his skull was exposed. Heavy amounts of blood dribbled to the ground with tiny fountains of venom squirting out of his brain.

Gabrielle straightened his designer coat proudly before directing his attention back to the remaining Volturi.

He spoke with an omniscient tenor in his voice. "The age of the Volturi is over. Never have our kind behaved in such a demeaning way as you have. I feel ashamed to recognize myself as a vampire over your mold coated ways. You are a disgrace to all your kind. How willingly so many of you here signed a pact with the devil to gain power and authority.

However all this is about to be turned virtuous and your loyalties moot.

Children, give praise to the stars for your last accounts will be the witnessing of a new dawn. Elysium rises from the ashes of the fires of bereavement and universally to all vampires it shall be known that the eight immortals are springing forth into the light!

My little ones, welcome, to the RISE OF THE VAMPIRE LORDS."

And so the carnage continued. When Gabrielle spoke the last words of power the five vampires behind him jumped off the ground and at the Volturi much to their chagrin.

Renata concentrated attempting to use her mental shield against Morrigan but began sobbing in terror as she walked right through the invisible wall. Morrigan smashed her foot on Renata's causing her to howl in pain as she gripped her head, and severed her at the torso. Santiago attempted to crash into Maximilian but was easily over powered and was brought to the ground. Maximilian jammed his foot into Santiago's gut and broke off both his arms. Santiago twitched and convulsed on the ground before the Elysium vampire raised his foot and disintegrated Santiago's face.

Two Volturi charged at Xiu who stood in place calmly and relaxed. She blinked and dashed between the two seemingly not causing any blemish upon them. When they landed on their feet and turned to face her again for a second go Xiu smiled lifting her blood stained fingers. Realization registered in their brains as they both began gasping for air and reached for their necks before their heads fell back, and left their body; decapitated.

"I see you…" Celestino whispered as Afton used his mental invisibility to no effect. Celestino elevated his arms with his claws spread out. Swift as lighting he slashed and gashed down on Afton's apparent frail form. The white in Afton's eyes became tainted with blood as he feel to pieces like some facile jigsaw puzzle.

Gabrielle who ignored the continuing massacre behind him walked towards a desperate Heidi. Her gorgeous features held no sway over Gabrielle and made her seem hideous in comparison. Heidi with all her might focused her talent in the last effort to appear as Gabrielle's greatest desire. As she felt her mental gift working Gabrielle's eyes grew wide with amusement. He laughed amazed. His laugher sounded like bells of heaven chiming and calling forth the angels.

"I'm sorry my dear however you do not possess the proper anatomy to satisfy my intimate needs," Gabrielle murmured seductively.

Heidi's eyes fluttered as she witnessed the last thing she'd ever see. Gabrielle catapulted his fist directly at her face and like in an act of slow motion, as soon as the tip of his fist touched Heidi's nose her entire head exploded into a million diamond pieces.

The room felt quiet then when the Volturi had breathed their last breaths. Gabrielle delightfully stared at the many pieces on the ground and panted a sigh of relieve while his shaking head with pursed lips.

"Sad to think they believed to stand a chance against us. So uncivilized…" he asserted. Gabrielle snipped his fingers.

Maximilian and Celestino brought forth four red canisters. They unscrewed the lids and suddenly the stink of gasoline filled the throne room. They poured the liquid all over the broken bodies, the thrones, walls, tables, and doors.

Without another word Gabrielle advanced forward and out of the great hall followed by Marcus and Morrigan tightly behind. Xiu and Andromeda followed along with Maximilian and Celestino that were still immersing the floors in gas as they pursued the others. When they reached the lobby Andromeda reached behind Gianna's former desk and revealed two more canisters. She opened the first and quickly ran up the stairs towards the tower bathing the marble grounds and making them reek. When she reached the chambers of the wives she wove them a disgusted look before she imbued them in the fluid too.

Maximilian took the last canister and covered the rest of the lobby up all the way to the entrance tunnel. Andromeda slid down the flight of stairs quickly and shot Gabrielle an acknowledging look. When they were finished the Elysium's gathered behind Gabrielle along with Marcus. He reached into his pocket and uncovered a small box of matches. He lit the small wooden stick on fire and it would be this tiny flame that would exercise the world of the Volturi without humanity every knowing they even exited.

"I look at this petit flame and for the first time in eons, I see new hope. I suppose this would be the time for me to say something profoundly." He nodded his own head, agreeing with his sentiment.

Marcus, Morrigan, Xiu, and the others looked at him curiously. Gabrielle smacked his lips after only one second of deliberations.

"Well, they weren't getting any younger."

Gabrielle parted his middle and index finger and the small timber match rolled and slightly sizzled to the ground. In the mere instance it took Gabrielle to let it go the lobby was already barren, and the seven vampires were nowhere to be seen as the match ignited the fires of retribution.

**(Authors Note) – I hope you enjoyed the chapter. The next two should be good as the Vampire Lords deal with the rest of the Volturi and have some shocking revelations for Aro. PLEASE REVIEW! Thank you. **


	42. Chapter 41

For this chapter I listened to a very inspirational song that I've known for awhile, it was perfect. It's called Serenata Immortale from the album Trailerhead by Immediate Music.

* * *

Rising

(Third Person Point of View)

A spiking tremor had settled in Alice's body. She felt her insides rattling wanting to burst free. She moved her meager eyes to the rumbling, black, and horrifying sky reflecting its terror in them. The macabre titan had settled directly over the entire state of Washington. But here, in the clearing the Cullen's had petitioned for meeting the Volturi the clouds seemed the most wholly.

The hour grew late, and with every eerie minute fleeting by the horizon grew darker. The sun was buried somewhere deep within the clouds forever out of sight Alice thought. Alice swallowed nervously peering from the corner of her eyes at the faces of her family that displayed similar suspense. Alice felt uncomfortable and fervently tried to remain calm. If it were only the Volturi that made her tense but instead it was the mammoth above.

She glanced at Carlisle standing at the spear of their small group. Esme stood behind him in his shadow worried sick with anxiety. Rosalie and Emmett stood side by side anticipating the coming ancients, and slightly brushed their hands together every few seconds. Jasper, tall as a stone statue, resided next to her. He aimed his waves of serenity at them all but to no avail. A moments release was nothing compared to when the honest truth came back to them.

Alice successfully averted looking over her shoulder at Edward. He stood in the last row staring at the ground, uncaring. When they looked into his glassy eyes it seemed though he was far, far away. Even though he hadn't responded to any of Carlisle's pleas to avoid any unintelligence on his part Alice doubted his current state of mind. She refused to believe that he would have the audacity to act like Romeo. After all, Juliet was not dead. She only… relinquished him and his feelings.

Besides, Emmett and Jasper were all over this. Alice tried to cheer herself up knowing that her husband and brother would beat the living crap out of him before allowing him to take one step towards Aro.

Alice closed her mind and revisited her vision. She saw them standing prepared and ready in the clearing near the trees. Alice saw the sky, a thunder erupted from its vulgar clouds and shot its way across the firmament; cracking as it went. And then, from the shadows of the forest they sprang forth. It was a waiting game now. Alice repeatedly glimpsed to the sky awaiting the arrival of the lighting that would seal their fate.

If only Bella had not come then none of this would have happened. Yet, again, what could the Volturi do to them? They had not committed any crimes that had broken the laws set forth eons ago. They could not be held responsible for Victoria's rash actions. The one person she sought vengeance after was no longer here. Would the Volturi understand it? Aro had already taken what he wanted from Victoria so why come here?

Alice blinked twice and cocked her head to the side startled. Is it Bella she asked herself? Does he want more information pertaining to her? A sense of reason and calamity passed through Alice as she deliberated with herself. They did have more information on her. Jasper told Alice that Bella lived by a code of secrecy and didn't want to be known. But then why leave them with all of this knowledge? Not to mention Jasper's upgrades.

If Aro were to take that intelligence from them would he leave peacefully? But why keep the newborns? New guards perhaps, Alice thought? She shook the thought off quickly. Newborns are in no condition to serve the Volturi. Unless of course they have gifts that Aro is interested in?

Alice squeezed her eyes together tightly. Or maybe Aro offered them their lives? From Victoria he would have gained wisdom of how large their coven was. But why would he need the backup if Jane and Alec are with him? Is that really what he wants?

Alice's mind froze like someone pushed the pause button on a remote control. Why on earth, if Bella wanted to stay concealed would she even allow them to know all that she did? What if Aro ends up wanting her? He'll tear the world apart seeking her Alice thought. Would he find her? Was there some other modus operandi she missed? What ARE Aro's ultimate goals?

_CRACK_

A large bolt of white lighting shot through the tarnished clouds like some ferocious dragon. Alice gasped and looked up. The clouds were moving suspiciously. They seemed to rotate like trying to form twisters. But as Alice stared at them she couldn't help but think of a maelstrom in the sky.

"They're here…" she whispered in a mousy voice. Alice saw them all standing up straight and spreading their hands to either side of their bodies, vigilant and prepared for anything. Carlisle was the only one that remained relaxed, and Edward well… he didn't care.

She could hear their footsteps as they approached. Then, the scents infiltrated her nasal passages. The sweetness in their aroma was sickening she thought.

In their black cloaks the Volturi emerged from the forest and levitated over the ground. The first to be seen were Aro and Caius side by side. The combination of their black and blond hair swaying next to each other was intimidating. Aro's expression showed little excitement but yet a friendly composure whilst Caius' was grim and icy. Behind them were the twins.

Jane and Alec with their hoods over their heads glided care free behind the ancients. The "witch twins" had been the talk of the vampire community ever since they joined the Volturi, and undoubtedly it was them Alice thought nervously. Behind them were other figures, three of them Alice recognized as Chelsea, Corin, and Demetri from Carlisle's descriptions. Demetri held a charming smile on his face that was yet malevolent. Around his arm and pinned against his chest was Victoria. Her fiery red locks bounced against his chest tamed. Victoria grimaced evilly with a filthy smile.

There were two other Volturi behind them, two large guards that held on to three newborn vampires. They didn't even put up a fight and resided in their grips. They floated over the field like they weren't even walking and made it to the center of the clearing where they stopped.

The storm above grew quiet in its enigmatic presence. The world fell silent as the Volturi and the Cullen's exchanged curious and judgmental glares. Aro was but immune to these glares. His eyes were vivid with joy as a smile danced over his chalky face as he saw Carlisle.

"Carlisle, my friend," Aro announced. Aro took three careful steps forward and became the spear of the Volturi force. The guards poised themselves fight worthy by locking their eyes on the Cullen's.

Carlisle mimicked Aro's gesture and stepped out greeting him as well. "Hello Aro, it's a pleasure to see you again." Carlisle said friendly.

Aro nodded agreeing still holding his smile. "Indeed, if only this was under better circumstances."

"I agree," Carlisle said. "Please know that we had no involvement with the buildings of an army and the creation of these newborns. Until quite recently we didn't even realize that an army was being assembled. We…"

Carlisle stopped as Aro raised his hand silencing him. Esme looked grim and disappointed over Aro's lack of interest in her husband's words. She much like Alice and the others were desperately worried over the future. Edward on the other hand didn't even acknowledge the Volturi's arrival.

"I already know you weren't involved in this Carlisle so there is no need for pleading sentiments." Aro smiled. "We have not seen each other for the better part of three centuries and I have to admit I was curious to see you."

Carlisle laughed pleasantly. "It's nice to see you again too Aro. I should have visited."

"Ah," Aro waved his hand through the air. "We still have eons for that."

With that sentence in mind the Cullen's seemed to relax just a bit. The word _eon_ in Aro's speech gave them hope that the Volturi or Aro were here for mere pleasantries. Though that thought was farfetched. If it were so then why keep Victoria and the newborns?

"I do believe introductions are in order Carlisle, what do you think?" Aro asked looking at his family.

Carlisle nodded. "Of course," Carlisle agreed. "This is my wife Esme," Carlisle presented Esme that put on a small smile.

"Delightful," Aro intervened. Carlisle ignored him and continued. "This is Rosalie and her husband Emmett. Next to them are Jasper and his wife Alice. And my son in the back, that's Edward."

"Well, I have to confess that you have built yourself quite a beautiful family Carlisle. When you set out hundreds of years ago I always believed that you would grow weaker over time considering your diet. But I'm glad to have been proven wrong," the ancient said joyous.

"I'm glad too Aro, and thank you." Carlisle said grinning.

"However, I have come here not only to meet with you again. Imagine my surprise when I saw you in the mind of this one that wished to destroy you," Aro pointed at Victoria. Victoria sat with her knees on the ground while having to feel the discomfort of Demetri's hand firmly on her shoulder.

"It was only a misunderstanding Aro," Carlisle pleaded.

"Yes, it seems though her rage wasn't implied towards you per say my friend but rather against someone that I do not see amongst your ranks."

_DAMNIT, _Alice cursed in her mind. So she was right. The Volturi had no interest in them but instead wanted Bella. But she wasn't here anymore. Alice prayed that the Volturi would choose to pursue her themselves rather than absorb them any further in this.

"Do tell Carlisle, where is she now?" Aro asked inquiring. Suddenly a darker look crossed Aro's countenance though he kept his cheery position.

"She left us a few days ago Aro. Unfortunately she didn't divulge where she was going."

Aro nodded to himself his eyes growing to slits. "Tell me, what was her name?"

"Bella, she told us." Alice broke her vow and looked over her shoulder to Edward that cringed at the sound of her name.

Aro looked to Caius and the both of them traded a strange look. Aro cleared his throat chuckling silently to himself.

"Are you sure Carlisle?"

Carlisle nodded earnestly. "Yes."

Aro contorted his features disbelieving. "Allow me to tell you the problem with that Carlisle." A stiff feeling pulsed through the Cullen's as a sense of seriousness emanated from Aro's voice.

"From the memories of this one," Aro pointed out Victoria, "I was given the chance to see her fully. The day you were playing a sport here in this clearing was the first time she appeared, no?"

Carlisle just nodded.

"You see when I was sired my creator passed on to me a certain amount of genetic memory from his own life. In these memories were displayed several images of a vampire that resembles the one you encountered. The physical similarities are uncanny. But the issue is that this vampire perished several thousands of year ago as I have been led to believe."

Carlisle didn't know how to respond. Instead he chose to stand still in his place and waited for Aro to continue.

"At first I thought that perhaps it WAS merely a physical harmony between these two vampires but that was until I saw her actions regarding one of your sons." Aro's eyes moved to Jasper. Carlisle turned his head looking at him as well. Everyone, Volturi and Cullen alike were staring at Jasper now.

"What she did to him was puzzling. I would very much like to know how that came to be."

Carlisle turned back to Aro with questions burning in his eyes. "Might I ask who she reminds you of or better yet why it matters Aro? Not meaning to be rude."

Aro laughed. "She reminded me of someone that I very much believe to be dead, and someone that is better off forgotten in any case. However, what she performed or rather how she healed your son is an action that only the most ancient of us can perform. Not even I have reached the proper age nor gained the ability to do what she did which leads me to believe that the person in question might just be whom I think it really is. "

Confusion whipped through the Cullen's. They didn't know what to make of Aro's inquiries or statements.

Suddenly Aro looked to Jasper. "My dear boy, how are you feeling after your…_ misfortune_?" Aro asked. Alice shook her head mentally. She wondered whether his interest now lay towards her husband or the Moriatus.

Jasper shrugged his shoulders uninterested. "Better than ever," he pronounced.

Aro laughed loudly at Jasper. The other Volturi gasped shocked and surprised as Aro's velvet laughter filled the clearing. "Of course you would."

Aro's sudden interest in Jasper made Alice increasingly nervous. There was no way she would ever allow Aro to take him away from her. She would kill Aro or resign her own freedom if that's what it took to save him.

"My dear boy may I make an offer to you?" Alice flinched when the words rolled over Aro's tongue.

"I would welcome you to the Volturi with open arms. I would very much like to observe you in this new environment. It would only be temporary of course. You may rejoin your family at any point."

Alice reached for Jaspers hands and intertwined her fingers in his. Jasper squeezed her hands tightly back.

Abruptly from the corner of his eyes, Carlisle noticed how Chelsea's eyes closed slightly and focused in on Jasper. Carlisle turned around horrified and his and Jasper's eyes met for a brief moment.

"I thank you for the offer. But I'm afraid I have to decline. My place is here with Alice and the rest of my family."

Aro nodded disappointed yet surrender was nowhere to be seen. "Your mate is invited also Jasper." The Cullen's watched as Jane and Demetri grimaced arrogantly and chocked a laugh.

Caius shook his head at the ludicrous idea though like Aro realized the stakes.

Jasper withheld a growl against the Volturi's narcissistic demeanor. At times like these he wished he could use his talent against himself.

"Thank you for the invite Aro but as I've said my place is here with my family."

Aro sighed frustrated. "Very well then," he admitted defeated. "Caius?" He asked.

Aro and Caius began walking towards the Cullen's much to their surprise and that of their guard. It was disturbing seeing Aro's optimism and smile while at the same time having to look at Caius' stone hard glare.

"I'm relatively certain that there were more interactions between you and the aforementioned vampire Carlisle. I would very much like to see them."

Carlisle blinked twice before answering. "Yes… of course."

An aura of hostility washed over the Cullen's as Aro and Caius approached. They halted in front of Carlisle with Aro's arm already stretched out before him ready to shake hands with Carlisle. Carlisle smiled uneasy and raised his hand to greet Aro's.

"NO," a sudden roar discharged from behind them. Carlisle and the rest of them spun around looking into Edward's pained and miserable face that now held a vicious mask.

Edward walked forward pushing Emmett and Jasper out of the way and joined Carlisle in front of the ancients. More growls erupted from the lines of the Volturi. Aro whirled his fingers through the air silencing them. "Peace my children," he whispered.

"What do you want with it? WHY do you want this information? WHAT DO YOU WANT WITH BELLA?"

Caius hissed at Edward. "You should teach your children manners Carlisle." Carlisle put his arm in front of Edward's chest.

"Edward…" he beseeched him.

"NO CARLISLE. You know how the Volturi are, HOW ARO IS! He sees something he likes and immediately wants it! What do you want with Bella?"

Aro snickered. "Dear one, I mean no harm to this vampire. I only want to learn what she knows."

"THAT'S A LIE!" Edward bellowed. Aro put up his hands defensively while retaining his fake smile.

"Please Edward; I assure you I speak honestly. I only wish to meet with your Bella," Edward interjected.

"SHOWS HOW MUCH YOU THINK YOU KNOW. BELLA ISN'T EVEN HER REAL NAME."

Alice tore away from Jaspers grasp and threw her arms around Edward trying to pull him back. "Edward shut up! Get back!"

Aro's smile fainted as he looked from Carlisle to Edward and Alice, and back.

"YOU WANNA KNOW HER REAL NAME?" Edward yelled. Emmett appeared and put his hands on Edward's shoulders dragging him back. Aro stared at Edward mystified. Alice pushed against his stomach drawing him back further. Carlisle started at Edward shocked. Rosalie and Esme watched terrified at Edward's reckless behavior.

"CELEST ALATHIELLE!" Edward screeched.

All the Cullen's with the exception of Alice and Jasper stared at Edward confused. Aro's eyes grew wide with an unknown emotion swimming in them. For the first time since their arrival Caius shed himself of his bitter gestures and joined in Aro's shock.

Edward snarled menacingly while Emmett, Alice, and the others peered at the Volturi confounded by their sudden surprise.

Suddenly Aro's lips quivered as an evil expression corrupted his delicate features. "You should teach your children not to lie Carlisle! Some lies are not very becoming of us!"

"I'm sorry Aro I don't know what came over him."

Aro's eyes turned back to Carlisle. "Now, let us shake hands so I may see this vampire from your perspective."

"NOOO," Edward screamed.

_CRACK. CRACK. CRACK. _

When Aro's hand moved to lock Carlisle's the sky sprang back to life. A barbaric series of lightning literally cracked the sky. Aro and Caius ducked as did every other vampire in the clearing. The lightning continued more frequently in its whips.

Alice felt her vision slowly coming to life. The clouds moved along the horizon faster than any of them had ever seen, they were cannibalistic in nature, devouring each other. The clouds were pitch black and a grand shadow covered the entire forest. The Volturi guard came in a circle, each of them staring at the sky with some exotic fear unknown to them. Only Jane, Alec, Chelsea, and Demetri looked at the storm with a certain yet alien familiarity. Corin, with his rustled and messy chestnut hair welcomed the chaos above with a gloomy smile.

At once the clouds began whirling and spiraling forming a meridian orb in the center of the storm right above the clearing. Out of this circle shot fat and devious bolts of white lighting impacting between the Cullen's and the ancients. Aro and Caius were knocked rearward unto their backs. Carlisle who was closest to the touchdown was somehow unspoiled and stood speechless in front of his family.

The Volturi elder's jumped off the ground and while looking terrified at the sky retreated to the safety of their guard.

_CRACK._

Yet another audacious missile of lighting broke into the Volturi circle. The wave of electricity that sprouted from the strike tossed Aro, Caius, the two extra guard, the newborns, and Victoria to the ground. Jane, Alec, Chelsea, Demetri, and Corin were untouched and watched in horror with the exception of Corin as their masters were made to wither on the ground.

A chilly breeze gusted through the clearing bringing with it a mysterious and thick mist. Alice shuddered as her vision sprang to life and every minute the darkness she had seen was coming closer. The mist surrounded the trees, hiding their majestic crowns. The Cullen's watched stupefied as the mist encircled the entire forest around them leaving the clearing unaffected. The mist rose to the sky partially hiding the density of the storm.

It seemed they were trapped in a ball of mist. The Cullen's argued mentally with themselves to how the mist could have formed so swiftly and easily. Aro and Caius rose back up on their legs pondering in the secrecy of the weather aberration around them.

"WHAT IS THIS?" Caius shouted at the Cullen's.

"I have no idea," Carlisle answered as the gales blew through his honey colored hair.

Caius growled scornful. "Peace brother," Aro whispered in hushed tones. Even he knew that Carlisle and his covenant couldn't be responsible for the turbulence.

Suddenly the winds calmed. Rosalie watched her golden locks falling back to her shoulders. Nervously she looked to Emmet who was just as baffled as she.

The many leaves that were dancing through the air sailed to the ground having lost their wings to fly. With his smile and joyous decorum lost Aro explored the sky and the nebula of mist surrounding them. Suspicion was high on his list and even though he disagreed with Caius' assessment the Cullen's were on the top list of suspects.

Alice examined the mist looking for some answers to why her visions went blank. Everything but Edwards's outburst she had prophesied. The Volturi were just as stumped as they were and couldn't possibly be the cause of the darkness.

Alice quivered as she heard a "thud" like sound next to her. When she turned her head Jasper wasn't standing next to her anymore. She found him on his knees on the ground. His hands were at his head while his red eyes were wide; almost popping out of their sockets.

Alice threw her arms around him immediately, deeply concerned.

"Jasper? Jasper what's wrong?" Jasper didn't answer. Emmett closed in and put his hand on Jasper's shoulder.

"Jazz you okay?" Suddenly all the Cullen's including Edward were surrounding Jasper. He inhaled and exhaled sharply. Jasper propelled his fingers through his hair still grasping his head.

Alice shook him desperately, "Jasper," she called his name.

"Power…" Alice blinked surprised, a notion all the Cullen's copied.

"What?" She asked him.

"Power… SUCH POWER," he announced. Aro and Caius were peering through the holes between the Cullen's interested in Jasper's state too.

Alice shook her head ignorant to his situation. Jasper dragged his fingers down his cheeks as blackish circles formed beneath his eyes. A crooked grin formed on his white face. He exposed his honed teeth. Alice fluttered her eye lids taken in by the sudden dimness of his features.

"Ha, ha," Jasper laughed roughly and weak. Carlisle gently pushed through Esme and Rosalie and bent to his knees to probe Jasper.

"What's the matter?" Carlisle asked with a heavy wave of sympathy in his voice.

"They're… here…"

Carlisle searched Jasper's eyes for answers. Edward tried to hear Jasper's thoughts but they were broken and partially distorted.

"Who's here?" Carlisle asked. Jasper just smiled as if in a trance.

"They've… come…" he whispered impedingly.

Their distress was interrupted by a whistle gliding through the clearing. The Cullen's returned to their feet, alert. Jasper remained on the ground smiling. The Volturi too were seeking out the source of the whistle when suddenly a harmonic and chiming like voice sounded from somewhere in the mist.

"_Beyond the stars horizons wait… through shadows and the cold abyss…"_

Edward compressed when he heard a familiar voice ringing through him. The Volturi looked to the south as the point of origin but all they saw was mist.

"_Forsaken in the dark we were… far away… from white shores." _They all turned around when a male voice sang a beat from somewhere behind the Volturi. Aro and Caius became increasingly guarded.

"_The weeps of willows are our tears… bound forever… in eternal death." _It was the Cullen's turn to jump as another female voice sang through the fields not belonging to Bella. Edward stiffened with anticipation. _Had she come back _he thought nearly sobbing.

"_A light to reach in the night… stretched out their hands all eight did. Bound forever… by the blood of man. _

_Now we travel down the road… and alone we fly with the winds. Eternally… hidden… in the hearts of worlds._

_Forever shall we live… forever shall we live…_

_Never will we fade… never will we fade…"_

They were all enclosed in the strange ambience that had arrived. Not only one, two, or three voices could be heard anymore. From all directions several clear cries sang a slow, beautiful, yet heartbroken melody in unison.

A sudden stir and low noise caused all the heads of the vampires to turn back to the south. A crackling sound could be heard as leaves were being stepped on in the forest. Edward tried to pierce the mist with his eyes than any other. A shape could be seen formulating out of the mist. It was patiently walking towards them. As the silvery mist finally submitted to their perfect vampire visions an enticing Bella stepped out from its concealment.

"_Us the lords of old…" _she finished the lullaby solely with her bell like voice. All of nature was silent.

Edward gasped hurt but enormously content with her sudden return. But, she didn't look like she usually did he thought. She had discarded her black pants, violet robes, and slick long coat. She wore a stunning dark blue sapphire like gown. The gown touched the very ground she stood on. It lay on her body like a second layer of skin. It was sleeveless and reached above and behind her shoulders. It would have been very exposing had it not been for a baby blue white undergarment protecting her cleavage. Around her exposed neck rested a thin chained necklace with a simple white pearl dangling over the baby blue attire. A cerulean scarf that matched the color of her dress lingered on top of her head like a hood and fell down on both sides of her face. It reached beneath her pits and encircled her arms like serpents until past her hands where they ended.

She looked like a true ancient Edward thought. Aro's red eyes filled with fear as he took in the presence of the legend he thought expired. Caius valiantly tried to hide his own panic at the sight of Celest, as he remembered her in his inherit memory.

Bella's dreamy eyes moved between the Cullen's and the Volturi observantly. She began to speak and Edward once more heard the most incredible sound in his world.

"Do you know of true desolation?" She murmured but more to the Volturi than the Cullen's.

"Do you know what it is like to be lesser than the shadows?" She said in a despairing tone. Aro and the rest of his followers were mute.

"Have you ever arisen from a nefarious dream and saw that all was fruitless?" Bella's eyes moved between the Cullen's and Volturi. She nodded with raised brows. "I have."

The Cullen's especially Alice and Edward stared Bella down, listening intently to her sorrowful words.

"For too long have we remained in the depth and crux of ourselves, and slowly it dawned that we were losing. The realm of impossibility for the most supreme of shadows was breached by the bloody souls of wandering spirits; neither living nor dying. When sleek onyx claws reach to puncture your flesh and ambush you, transporting you to the fieriest chasms of a room of doubt.

And there is no light. No light to reach anymore, all gone and vanished. The darkness envelops your being and swallows any bundle of life left within you. The darkness whispers you know. At first they are small whispers in your ear, like a tickle. But those words spawn more words and they concur to their predecessors. You weep, so terribly, with no one there to seize you; no one there to ease the suffering, and no one there.

With heart pricking pain you gaze over your shoulder and no one is there. Only the twilight, only the treacherous cockcrow of night mockingly blinds your weary vision. And slowly, in your heart you begin to accept that you are truly alone. No one there to clutch your hand, your cold and inanimate hand that is so unclean."

Bella blinked her eyes ever gently. The despair surged through the clearing touching every heart. For somewhere in them there was some recognition to the words being spoken.

"Whilst we tallied the stars we displaced and forgot the moon. Only she shone down on us and embraced us in her magnificent glow when no one else did. Because no other knew we existed. Gaia spun, endlessly, and left us behind in her waking step. We chased her across the horizon but to no avail. She didn't want us anymore. We were nothing and no one. We were the predicament of the past; used and old, and unwanted. A fate we conjured for ourselves.

When even the sumptuous green feels pity for you is when you begin to understand that truly you are _oblivion_. They, the timber, trapped to their roots. They cannot fly openly, they cannot see beyond the tops of the mountain side. Yet, you're legs are free but you are more bound than them. Always standing in the lake of your anguish and dejection; silently praying. You say you will drop a single tear in these waters, and should you emerge with that one drop you will spread your wings. I never found that tear…"

Edward silently sobbed to himself. Jasper who had stood back up from the ground felt the morose vibes rolling off Bella. It made him want to shout. Aro and Caius from a side view looked down on her, her emotions even penetrating them.

Bella looked up, the paining expression becoming void and evaporating. "Until now!" She said with a proud edge in her voice. Her eyes didn't search and knew exactly where to fall. Edward gasped as his eyes met hers. Bella had found her tear.

"I banish the words, and I banish your power. From whence you came, crawling in the mud and dirt and through the manure I forthwith expel you from the presence of all!" Bella pointed her white finger right at Aro making him gulp. The lovely blue scarf danced around her hand in the notion of her sudden move creating the image of beauty but also spite.

"Far too long have we muttered in your ear and drove you forward on the chessboard; too long have you bathed in the glory that we propagated for you!" Bella snarled.

"You are a destroyer of worlds. You have pilfered, murdered, and endeavored against those whom you called brothers. You are the leech, the reaper that moves like some possessed basilisk scouring covenants and soothingly prancing over their innocent corpses. We gave you too much power, and you have misused that power Aro.

I know corruption, believe me. And the very fact that you have committed atrocities even against the better judgment of us is disturbing. It only fuels the flame that burns in my heart telling me that you ARE the monster of this dream. Then again, the precious blood you have spilled over thousands of fields can also be contributed to me. Had we emerged sooner, you would have squealed, and I would have skewered you like the pig you are."

Aro began growling through his teeth at Bella's insults. Her finger still lay on his visage.

"There shall be no more theatrics puppet," Bella continued. "What you were given I now reclaim. The need for the Volturi has collided with the arrival of a new power. An ancient power that slept beneath the Earth and that I have awoken from its slumber.

The age of the Volturi is over.

For centuries you have worn the coronet you wove out of the bones and flesh of our kind. You stood above them like a god and brought justice upon them. You were never endowed with that power you heathen. You feared nothing, you made amends for nothing, and slowly it has turned you obsolete.

Aro… the hour has grown late and the final stroke has fallen.

Fear not the creatures in the dark beyond the sea of lava. The earth would welcome you and purge your soul of your wickedness and once more you would be part of the cycle of all things. Do not fear your consciousness being erased and returned to the life stream. It happens to all. Fear not that ship that will carry you forth taking your sin's with it. There is no need for fear that you will surely choke on them.

There is no fear in life Aro… You are a vampire so I advise you to fear nothing and no one."

Though Aro tried to hide it, _fear_ settled in his frames. Her mere words unleashed a series of pulses all over his body. The legends he believed to be fairytales were coming to life. He had denied the memories passed on to him from the maker he killed himself, Aeolus.

A crooked and devilish smile plastered itself on Bella's face. "However…."

_CRACK!_

Another heaving bolt of lightning stretched across the darkened sky and slightly illuminated the wall of mist.

"Fear is not absolute. Fear can thrive you to insanity and challenge your most noble deeds. You should not fear nothing and no one," Bella grinned. "Except for one thing…"

A rumbling thunder hammered through the clouds. It was earth moving and shattering. The clearing became silent under the oppression of the storm. Not a sound in the whole wild world it seemed but for one voice.

"Fear the rising of a new dawn. Fear the very thing that haunts your steps.

Fear us, for we are the sacred divinity. We are the anointed of the ancestors. And it is time we step out of legend.

For we are, the Vampire Lords."

Bella stepped forward making her way to the center of the clearing. As she completed her third step a flaring bolt of energy from the sky struck behind her. The light of the flash illuminated the detaining fog again this time revealing seven shadows appearing from beneath the layers.

Out of the sparkling curtain of mist they arose like gods. One after the other they appeared like ghosts crossing the great divide into our world. The beautiful faces of the most ancient of vampires manifested throwing away their age old masquerades. The very strength shining from their bodies was pressing and overwhelming. Each of them was a beacon, a pillar of grace and might.

The sky went rampant and raged with thunderous applause. A strong tempest flurry rampaged through their ancient forms.

Aro shook his head cynically not wanting to believe the sight before his very eyes. Caius sighed depressed; his mind repeated the same word over and over, _no. _The very thing they believed to be a demented legend climbed out of the pages of the books and entered the world of reality.

Edward's eyes glanced at each of their faces awed by their presence. Suddenly, out of nowhere he saw something coming at him. It was squared and lightly brown. He blinked repeatedly trying to shake what he thought to be a delusion but with no success. With a grand force it stopped like a locomotive halted in the very last moment in front of him. It was a page out of a book.

_Some of the oldest mentioned names. These are of legends that are as absurd as some human myths regarding to fairies and other such nonsense._

_Apotamkin_

_Celest_

_Conterra_

_Kao-Guojiu_

_Olokun_

_Pilirin_

_Rusalka_

_Tamula_

Edward chuckled. _Helios, you trickster of a bastard _Edward thought bemused. He watched them flying across the clearing, slowly taking their time. The Volturi guard were as taken as their masters even though some of them wore curious expressions.

As they descended down the field Bella began to speak.

"Countless epoch's of age's ago there once existed an alliance between the Valar and the Shurrings. Today, we honor that allegiance."

A loud howl like that of a wolf erupted from the forest where the Vampire Lords had emerged. From out of the mist came seven large bodies. Their brown furry paws stomped the mud. Their large heads and chests became apparent as they surfaced. Their large white teeth snarled murderously at the Volturi.

"CARLISLE?" Emmett said astounded. The Cullen's all shared the same wave of shock as the seven wolves's appeared.

"They, they survived," Carlisle whispered absent mindedly.

The La Push wolves walked proudly and tall joining the Vampire Lords in their pace. The hair on their backs stood up high. Their black claws drug through the soil easily keeping up with their apparent companions.

"Do you see that?" Jasper asked astonished.

The wolves that had made their dislike noticeable half a century ago towards vampires were now flanking the Vampire Lords. Bella was at the point of the force sorely staring at Aro.

The unusual group arrived in the center of the clearing confronting the Volturi head on.

Aro watched horrified as he looked at all their faces. They all presented smiles on their marvelous features. One of them, with curly brown hair even showed teeth grinning brilliantly. The wolves came to rest next to them, ready to clash, and slash through the Volturi's bodies. Never had such a group been seen, at least not by such young vampires.

Streaming amounts of questions flew through the air. Who were the Vampire Lords? Why were the La Push wolves with them? Why did Bella predict a new age? Would they end the Volturi? Why were some of the Volturi rather suspicious instead of anxious towards the lords?

Edward watched with mixed emotions as a full smile crossed over Bella's face. Her crimson eyes hypnotizing Aro, bending him to her will. The last lightning bolt cracked through the sky and once more silenced the whole of the world around them. And Bella spoke the very first chiming words with her gentle voice.

"Judgment day."

* * *

**(Authors Note) – **I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I'll try to get the next one up as soon as possible since it will have a lot of answers concerning the Shape shifters, Volturi origins, and a lot of blunt shocks for Aro. The next chapter will feature the end of the Volturi basically. Please REVIEW.


	43. Chapter 42

Turncoats & Salvation

"Bad business Aro, very bad business," Bella whispered velvety.

Aro's lips trembled noticeably as he took in the sight of the legendary eight immortals otherwise known as the Vampire Lords. What he had believed to be a deluded concept in the mind of Aeolus was incontrovertibly authentic. If these ancient gods were real then would it mean Elysium, the great vampire metropolis was real too?

Caius' mind furnished with fear at the sight of the wolves. The minutes spent defending against the elder werewolf Fenrir coursed through his brain. The lycan had toyed with him for several minutes showing Caius' absolute vulnerability to him. Had it not been for the miraculous sheer of dumb luck that had Fenrir mysteriously turning away and speeding off, he would have perished. Though Caius wondered why these wolves were more slender, and remained on all fours; their lineage to him was clear.

The Cullen's stood motionless near the edge of the forest. Carlisle had them huddled behind him. His arms were stretched to either side trapping his family in a circle behind him. Edward peered over Alice's head, his eyes rested solely on Bella.

Bella had her arms crossed over her lapis lazuli like dress, holding her elbows in each hand. The seven other vampires whose complexion and deep dark red eyes matched hers perfectly were smiling and grinning at the Volturi, victoriously. Bella inhaled and exhaled shaking her head. She took a step forward, closing on the Volturi.

The guards growled at the Vampire Lord, as did Victoria's newborns. Victoria stood behind Corin wrecked over the arrival of so many adversaries. However, the elite guard of the Volturi that included Jane, Alec, Demetri, and Chelsea did not. They seemed perplexed somehow. Their blood shot eyes moved over the faces of the lords, studying them intently.

"So after all these ages you staunchly believe it was all you. The ordinances, the chivalry, the hunt for the Children of the Moon, and all other ideas were yielded from ideas generated in your mind?" Bella asked pushing her eyebrows together.

Aro swallowed his nervousness and straightened up his stance, towering over Caius with a firm jaw. He folded his hands in an upside down triangle in front of him and answered gallantly.

"Of course, it was my vision that transformed our society into what it is presently." There was angst in Aro's tone that even the Cullen's couldn't help but notice.

A snorted laugh erupted from behind Bella's spear point.

"What a pathetic little loser," Pilirin's taunting voice echoed.

Aro gasped appalled at the insult as did the other Volturi.

Bella pressed her lips together inwards, and in her mouth suppressing a smile and laugh. A woman with straight silk corn hair that folded into locks amongst the lords put the top of her hand in front of her mouth; Conterra. Apotamkin lowered his head completely, his chest slightly shuddering with amusement.

Emmett wore a grand smile on his lips, pocking Jasper in the side. Jasper that sensed the sudden humor emanating from the lords couldn't help but smile back. Esme turned around with a scolding look but couldn't help hiding a grin herself. Alice cleared her throat and scratched her cheek looking to the ground. Carlisle stared off in the distance watching a leaf falling from an oak. Edward smiled slightly seeing Bella trying to hide a smile.

Bella rearranged her features to appear serious again. Pilirin stood in the back next to Tamula with an ornery grimace on his boyish face.

"Aro…" Bella's volume reemphasized the gravity of the situation in the clearing. "Aro it was never you sweetling. Do you candidly affirm that your actions were yours alone?"

"Yes," he said. Fear radiated off Aro though he tried to camouflage it.

"Ah…" Bella breathed out. "The ego," she whispered agitated.

"My dear sweet muddled little boy, its time you come to realize the truth. Behind your every activity it was us supplying your industry. Whenever your shadow moved we were there. Our will was made into reality through your providence. You were our pawn. You were selected out of hundreds of vampires to possess the most easily swayed character. It is time you came to terms with the reason of your existence. We are your masters."

Aro hissed. "You foolish woman," he growled. "How dare insinuate said statement. I have ruled the vampire domain without question for thousands of years. My will was never abolished. I forever had the best intentions to our kind and presented the Volturi to the world with pure royalty and cause."

Some of the Vampire Lords shook their heads disappointed in Aro's imagination.

"Truly then?" Bella asked. "It was you that banished the creation of immortal children? It was you that had the Children of the Moon, the sons of Fenrir hunted to the very brink of extinction? You alone set forth the unconditional secrecy that we waxed ourselves into?"

Bella exclaimed laughter and clapped only once. "My sweet, sweet boy these laws were carved in stone millennia before your birth. I, as an ancient, taught these policies when you were still suckling on your human mothers tit."

Aro's eyes broadened. Never had any vampire shown the courage to take such words with him. Caius looked to Aro dismayed over his idleness.

Bella's brows rose bemused. "Something I said?" She asked innocently. Bella shook her head again.

"You know, memories are so fragile. They can be bred in an instance but forgotten before you ever knew them intimately. Sometimes memories can change your entire persona. The devilry can be turned to virtue, and the foulness into graciousness. They become the building blocks on which you construct your personality. Imagine those blocks revamped, no pun intended, and organized to fashion a new individuality."

"You're mad," Aro snarled. "Let us see how well you will fare against the power of the Volturi." A dusky mien crossed his face. Aro glanced at Jane smiling deadly.

"Jane?" Aro asked dauntless. Jane stepped up and next to her master. She narrowed her eyes lethally at Bella.

"No…" Edward whispered quietly. Jasper threw his bulk around his body. Edward didn't put up much of a fight. In his horror his joints had frozen.

Bella cocked a crooked grin at Jane as she stared at her unrelentingly. The Vampire Lords burning with curiosity watched the scene entertained. Carlisle thought Aro had gone too far in using Jane against Bella. The rumor of the despicable pain she could ignite was merciless. Aro smiled splendidly awaiting the coming torment Jane would unleash unto the abomination he considered Bella.

"I can't…" Jane whispered. Aro's smile faltered. He blinked astonished.

"What was that Jane?" Jane shook her head looking at her master. A pitiful drawing of a face persisted on her marble features. "Why not?" Aro implored her.

"I-I just can't. It's not right." Angrily Aro heaved.

"Jane, I gave you an order. Is your power useless against her?"

Jane shook her head again naively. "I haven't even tried. I haven't even used it against her." Aro coughed tickled with panic.

"Might I inquire to why?" Jane looked back to Bella who prospered with an affectionate smile towards her. Jane managed a small smile before shaking it off; mentally asking herself what was interfering with her obedience towards Aro.

"S-something is not right. Something is stopping me from burning her, as much as I liked to for her affronting you."

Aro pouted infuriated. He looked over Jane and at her twin Alec. With his eyes he gestured at Bella. Alec's lips trembled. He shook his head, mimicking his sister.

"I can't either master," Alec muttered. With his dark brown hair swirling through the slight breeze he found himself in the same state of mind as his sister. "I've tried before master but I simply couldn't deprive them of their senses," he apologized.

Aro advanced to stand in front of his most prized possessions as they somehow became ineffective. "What is troubling you? This is not the first time you have been ordered to paralyze your opponents. What is keeping you AT BAY?" Aro roared at them. The twins cringed looking to each other for answers. Their angelic features held no disclosure.

Abruptly, drowning in his own rage and loss of control Aro raised his hand and struck across Jane's face. He waved his hand back striking Alec also. Caius showed no emotion against the twins. The other guard's mouths popped open startled.

A chill ran down Aro's spine forcing him to turn away from the twins as an ear shattering growl flew through him. Bella tore open her mouth unleashing the most ferocious growl Aro had ever heard coming from a vampire. Her eyes glowed with an indistinct hatred.

"ON YOUR KNEES SERVANT," she bellowed. Olokun stretched out his hand wearing a guise of disgust and the same hatred Bella advertised. Aro stiffened and grinded his teeth as his body buckled. His knees found the soil quickly as an oppressing and ghostly might forced him to the ground.

"I do believe it is time to illuminate the shadows," Bella whispered menacingly. "The power that was given to you to strengthen your resolve will be unmade. What we gifted to you we will now reclaim."

Caius stepped around his brother, feeling utterly useless. "STOP," Caius screamed. The lords ignored him.

Bella looked to Jane and Alec. A smile reappeared on her delicate features. "It is time to come home my dear children. Geneva and Ambrosio, return to Elysium. Your duty is fulfilled."

"What?" Caius hollered. The twins seemed confused. The Cullen's shared in the confusion.

"Who's Geneva?" Alice asked looking to Carlisle.

"Ambrosio?" Esme puzzled confounded. Carlisle shrugged his shoulders having no clues, knowledge or reasoning left in him. He only perceived that when Bella spoke those names she had looked directly at Jane and Alec.

Bella glanced over her shoulder at a dark haired woman wearing an elegant black gown with a purple scarf surrounding her waist and arms. A happy expression crossed her milky facet.

"Rusalka?" Bella asked expectantly. Rusalka tightened her vision, focusing on Jane and Alec. Yet, they weren't the only ones.

All eyes were on the Vampire Lord Rusalka. The males in the clearing saw her as a pure vision of beauty. Rosalie admired her from afar. In the mirror she saw her reflection as the perfect definition for the word beauty. But with Rusalka and another fair haired woman, and especially Bella around she immediately redefined the meaning of the word.

Suddenly a strange noise could be heart, like a low humming. Jane and Alec stared right back at her awaiting whatever conclusion that was approaching. Strangely, they did not for one fracture of a second consider defending themselves. They seemed hypnotized. Their features slowly turned from an innocent ignorance to a serious grimace. They looked almost flabbergasted and somehow a certain type of revelation became apparent on their faces.

Chelsea and Demetri shared in their characteristics. They both turned their heads to the side and bore their gazes into Rusalka's shimmering ruby eyes.

To the amazement of all Jane, Alec, Chelsea, and Demetri gripped their faces and foreheads with one of their hands. Jane swung from side to side touching her brother's shoulder with hers. Chelsea whipped her head from one side to the other her light brown hair swinging. Demetri blinked repeatedly while breathing strongly. He squeezed his eyes shut entirely, something the other three followed in suit.

Bella signaled Olokun with her index and middle finger pressed together. Olokun nodded and released Aro from his telekinetic grip. As if though in pain, Aro stood up shaking. His black suit was covered in dirt. Noticing the distress on his collections for the first time he half mindedly walked over to them.

"Jane," he asked troubled. Aro moved his long silver fingers to touch Jane's shoulder. Like a flash Jane's hand snapped away from her forehead and slapped Aro's away.

Aro puffed stupefied. Jane raised her head to meet Aro stare. With her lips parted she inhaled and exhaled seemingly exhausted.

"You don't touch me, ever piglet," Jane whispered bitter.

Aro fluttered his eyes struck, "Pardon me?" He asked.

Jane bared her teeth and hissed precariously. "I'll pardon you Aro," she growled.

"Pain," she sounded in a dark voice. Before Aro could intervene or stop Jane he already felt the blazing mental burn in his mind. Aro howled to the sky grasping his head. As much as he enjoyed viewing the displeasure of Jane's gift on the faces of countless scores of vampire over the ages; Aro had to look at his own complexion reflecting the same numbing and annihilating torture.

"Oh my God," Carlisle expressed horridly. Aro's own guards seemed to turn against him.

The two large bulky guards that were originally watching the newborns snarled and moved towards Jane. Alec turned his body towards them, his red eyes burning.

"Nothing," he sounded in the same dark voice as his twin. Suddenly the guards stopped and all emotion escaped their features. Like a leaky pipe, all they were was spilling out. They stood still like two marble statues as Alec's sensory deprivation completely cut them off.

"What do you think you're doing," Caius asked. When he went to take a step closer to Alec two hands appeared on either side of his head. The tips of the fingers squeezed into his head as the hands applied hard pressure to Caius' skull.

Demetri barked into Caius' ears, "You don't move. If you dare, I'll rip off your head where you stand." Caius flung his hands over Demetri's believing he could easily break his grip given his twenty century seniority over him. Unexpectedly Chelsea appeared in front of him with a loathsome expression on her face. With the side of her balled fist she punched Caius in the gut.

Caius spat venom to the ground from the impact. He coughed, his strength waning. "Ch-Chelsea, what are you DOING?" Caius yelled.

Chelsea planted her fingers in the back of Caius' head, his hair, and pulled his face out of Demetri's grip to hers. Small drools of venom oozed alongside the edges of his mouth.

"It's Charmion to you vermin." With the palm of her hand she landed a right hook in Caius' face, breaking his nose and cheekbones. Demetri relentlessly returned his grip on Caius' head as he withered in pain to the ground.

The newborns turned to flee but were confronted with Corin who blocked their exit.

"Now, now children that isn't a real wise _idea_ now is it?" Corin asked them charmingly.

Abashed the newborns shook their heads. Corin smiled revealing two dimples on either side of his cheeks.

"I think the most prudent _idea_ would be to sit and wait for the inevitable genocide. Yes children?" The newborns nodded again like they were under some sort of spell. They fell backwards hitting the soil with their bottoms, hard.

Aro's screaming continued. Jane flooded him with more heated burns. He felt like his head was about to implode from the torment. Alec, Chelsea, Demetri, and Corin watched in pleasure as Aro mentally melted. He ranted deluded and his words were mere gibberish. Jane never experimented with a subject's prolonged exposure to her power. What would happen she asked herself?

"That is enough Geneva, release him," Bella after what seemed like hours finally ended Aro's suffering, for now. Jane blinked and withdrew her mental army of flames. Aro sighed relieved as the pain left his mind and questions entered instead.

"Why?" He whispered. The crown jewels of his collection had betrayed him.

"Why?" Jane repeated the question. "Quite frankly I'm sick of having to look at you each new day. And because I can."

Aro glared at Jane, "I gave you life. You would have burned at the stake had I not rescued you from that terrible fate." Aro's sentiment made Jane and Alec both giggle.

"You were only meant to believe that you saved us. We are children of Elysium after all," Alec said.

Aro shook his head distrustful of their spoken words. Jane countered by nodding.

"You are correct." A chill journeyed down Aro's spine once more when he heard Bella's bell like voice. "The time has come for the children of Elysium to return home and retake their rightful places on the pilgrimage to enlightenment. Geneva, Ambrosio, Charmion, and Demetri please join our circle. Your voluntary duty is accomplished and the Volturi are no longer a power."

With a last malevolent glance Jane or rather Geneva turned her back on Aro and glided across the field with her brothers hand in hers; Ambrosio. Charmion and Demetri passed Aro without a second look and followed the twins. Bella welcomed them with open arms. Geneva and Ambrosio smiled as they embraced her together. Bella smiled and cuddled both their faces underneath her chin.

They both moved off to the side as Charmion encircled Bella in her grip, gently. Demetri was next. In a gentlemen like fashion he brought Bella's hand to his lips and kissed it softly. Charmion and Demetri walked on past Bella and stood next to Olokun. Geneva and Ambrosio, formerly Jane and Alec remained next to the Vampire Lord Celest.

"TURNCOATS," Aro bellowed. "What's happening here?"

"Perhaps I should clarify a few things," Bella said.

"You see my dear friend and sister Rusalka has the unique ability to manipulate memories. She can create them, erase them, change them, distort them or bury them so far in the subconscious where not even your power can reach. Are you beginning to understand the trivial fact that most of your reign has been a lie Aro?"

Aro didn't utter a word.

"Geneva and Ambrosio were born during the 6th century B.C and not 1200 years ago as you were led to believe. They arose from Abingdon, England, and came to life during the Iron Age. They were brought to us by a vampire named Gabrielle after he found them starving near Ipswich. So you see your memories of them are folly."

Aro slashed the idea in his head. The possibility of being manipulated for centuries was absurd.

"Geneva, Ambrosio, Charmion, and Demetri volunteered to join your campaign. We needed to give you strength in order to cement your rule. While we hid in the shadows and performed our duties as the lords of old we had no time to administer the codes of secrecy. So, we had you do it. They consented in having their memories padlocked until the day Rusalka would liberate them."

"What you speak of is nonsense," Aro judged. "How then, how would you have controlled me? Was that wrench always at my side?" Rusalka laughed lowly at Aro's remark.

"Oh no Aro," Bella added. "The betrayal lies deep within your circles. Not always did we find the time to directly consort you about vampire business. So instead we chose to communicate to you through someone else; someone that could move in your shadow without ever being suspected."

"WHO," Aro roared. Bella smiled.

"Have you never wondered why you so diligently planned and executed ideas without having a true cause as to why you were plotting them to begin with? Did you not find it odd that you challenged the creation of immortal children even though until the idea crossed your mind you never knew of their existence in the first place? What about the uprising of the Romanians. You did not think of them as a threat and were sure they would eventually capitulate. The same mystery surrounds the Children of the Moon. Until Caius was almost torn to pieces by Fenrir the idea of hunting them into extinction never occurred to you.

And what I find most amusing is that the werewolf elder Fenrir perished before your birth. How then could he have almost assassinated Caius?"

Caius, on the ground, doubted her every word. No other werewolf could have been so powerful. But second thoughts flooded Caius' mind. Why did the werewolf suddenly disappear?

"WHO?" Aro screamed.

Bella shook her head snickering at Aro's outrage. In his eyes she saw that he finally believed her. "Corin, come home," Bella said seductively.

Both Aro and Caius shot their heads back to Corin who smiled at them innocently. "What?" He asked politely. Corin, with his hands in his pockets strode through the newborns confronting the ancients. Caius towered from the ground and glared at him furiously.

"You traitorous bastard," Caius hissed. Aro growled at Corin. The two ancients each raised their fists for a strike. Corin's brows rose playfully. He put his index finger up in the air, shaking it.

"Ah, ah, now that is not a very good _idea_ now is it?" The ancients stopped in their tracks. Willingly they both lowered their arms. Corin glowed with glee.

Corin brought his index and middle finger together and kissed them before planting it on Aro's cheek. He walked past a stumped Aro and with a lustrous smile marched towards the Vampire Lords. Bella greeted him with a smile also. Like Demetri Corin took Bella's hand in both of his and kissed it. He walked on and joined Pilirin.

"Ornery as your sire Corin," Bella stated. Corin and Pilirin looked at each chuckling.

"If you haven't identified the obvious method we used to manipulate you allow me elaborate. Corin who has been with you for nearly 2000 years has supervised every large decision you ever made. We contacted him, told him our wishes, and he was so very kind to oblige. Have you never found it strange that the idea of reading his thoughts never once materialized to you?"

"H-how," Aro stuttered looking defeated at the ground.

"Corin's talent is very peculiar. It is weaker than actual mind control yet still potent. He has the ability to place ideas into the minds of vampires or humans. These ideas will eventually blossom and the subject will have no choice but to go through with them. Sometimes the ideas take minutes to be fulfilled. Other times it can take hours, even days, weeks, and months. However, Corin cannot control how someone goes about effectuating these ideas. Which was quite alright after all, we had to lend you some freedom otherwise vampires would have grown suspicious."

Aro fell to his knees, obliterated. Caius too felt grieve and betrayal sinking in his stomach.

"We chose you because you were a tyrant. We knew you would do our bidding without second guessing the means. Your cruelty and lack of sympathy was perfect for our strategies. We of course had doubts in the beginning but when you wanted to murder your own sister we knew we had made a befitting decision."

"Didyme?" Aro interjected.

"Yes, we knew you coveted to kill her in order to keep Marcus. That too my friend eventually became a false memory authored by Rusalka. We extracted Didyme and transferred her to Elysium. Marcus who confided your secret agendas to us was bursting with hatred towards you. We persuaded him to stay with you in order to influence policy. Didyme was safe in Elysium and he was welcome to visit whenever he pleased."

"How did he know?" Aro asked.

"Simple. Marcus can sense relationships between individuals. When your relationship to your sister became ravenous he grew concerned. Apotamkin visited you with Rusalka and read your thoughts. Once he discovered your agendas Rusalka erased the memory of your meeting and reported to Elysium. Rusalka then implanted you with the fake memory of your sister's untimely death at your hands."

Edward glanced down the lines of the Vampire Lords trying to identify which one of them was Apotamkin. Another mind reader he though curiously.

"Marcus…" Aro whimpered disappointed.

"Yes, Marcus. He is actually about half a millennium older than you. Earlier this day he granted five Elysium vampires entry to your underground facility in Volterra. I am cheery to report that the Volturi there have been exterminated. Marcus has made passage to Africa and should arrive in Elysium soon to reunite with Didyme."

"EXTERMINATED?" Caius shouted. Bella grinned evilly.

"Yes, though your words remain unspoken I see where you're trying to lead me. I confirm your thoughts of the deaths of Sulpicia and Athenodora."

Abruptly Aro and Caius exploded with growls. Carlisle moved his family back towards the trees sensing the final confrontation. The La Push wolves hissed through their teeth at the ancients.

Aro and Caius flew towards Bella. The news of the deaths of their wives was unbecoming and heartbreaking. They stampeded down the field; their claws were ready to strike. Tamula's wavy long black hair spun from side to side as he shook his head.

In a fraction of a second it took Aro and Caius to bolt towards Bella Jane stepped up defensively. Bella put her hand in front of Jane stopping her.

Edward ripped Carlisle's arm away in front of him to watch worrisome as the remaining Volturi catapulted themselves at Bella. Caius and Aro sprung off the ground and flew through the air at her. Their faces came closer and closer. Jasper snarled and jumped off the ground ready to defend. Alice, Emmett, and Rosalie smashed into him and brought him down.

With their fingers only centimeters away from Bella's face she said the last words they would ever hear.

"Burn in the flames of damnation, and I pray you will find peace in the life stream."

Bella blinked and fire consumed Caius and Aro's bodies. She tightened her focus and within a second the flames burned hotter, and hotter. Their fire enveloped forms evolved until only two extremely bright and hot spots could be seen. The very earth beneath the burning comets began turning brown and black. The Cullen's took cover and turned their back to the scene. The heat radiated off their skins. It was like two suns beaming on them. The thermal energy of the fire Bella started grew to such intensity that it incinerated both vampires instantly. The event took mere seconds.

As they burned the two lights still came closer to Bella before they both vanished. Soft ashes flew through Bella's hair. Her expression was blank and somewhat sorrowful. The ashes blew past Geneva and Ambrosio who were uncaring to the fate of their former masters. Aro and Caius were both gone, turned to ash. The Volturi were no longer a power. They never were to begin with.

Carlisle couldn't believe his eyes. He witnessed the destruction of Aro and Caius both. He had seen the very crippling of the Volturi and their dismantlement. They were nothing but an illusion. Their only purpose was to enforce the laws their civilization was built on.

Bella's eyes moved as she heard an annoyed sigh behind her.

"Yeah, not as though any of us wanted to have at least one of them to ourselves," Pilirin pouted.

Bella smiled slightly. "There are still six vampires standing in front of us brother," Bella declared.

"Yes, but not one of them is one of those I wanted." Pilirin countered chagrin. Bella groaned shaking her head.

She noticed Victoria standing next to three of the newborns she had created. Bella looked into Victoria's eyes both heavy with a grudge. The remaining two Volturi guard felt unsecure with the deaths of their masters and turned to flee. They swiftly escaped through the forest leaving no sign of them behind.

"Go ahead," Bella whispered. The Cullen's watched astounded as the seven La Push wolves took off, their steps causing minor tremors in the earth. They were lead by a large black wolf followed by a reddish colored one. They disappeared into the green following the scent the vampires had left behind.

The newborns trembled as they saw the wolves jump over them. Like ravage beasts they made chase after the remaining Volturi. Out of all the eyes that followed the wolves into the jungle there was only one pair that didn't. Victoria's eyes were consumed with pure hatred. Her waves of despair pulsed towards Bella. Bella returned her gaze to Victoria sensing the density in the air.

Bella took a step closer to Victoria who hissed at her. "There was nothing I could have done for him, he was beyond my skill to heal."

Victoria shook her head vigorously, "You're a liar," she whispered despairingly.

"SHE'S RIGHT," Edward yelled. Edward stepped out from between the lines of the Cullen's. Carlisle looked worried when Edward walked towards the middle of the clearing. He stepped through the ashes of Aro and Caius to join Bella at her side. Bella's eyes grew wide with surprise as Edward stood next to her. Victoria glared at him wickedly.

"Victoria, listen to me, I was there the day we were attacked. I saw the beast mutilating him. There was nothing left of him. I have a talent, much like you do," Victoria narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

"I can read the minds of others, I'm a telepath. When I saw into James' mind there was nothing left. All I saw was darkness. I'm sorry but he was dead before Bella even arrived to safe us. Whether you like it or not she saved your life that day too."

Victoria threw her finger at Jasper, "BUT SHE SAVED HIM!" Jasper locked eyes with Victoria. He felt the sorrow and madness rolling off her.

"That's because Jasper was still with us. He was hanging on but only barely. We almost lost him too. Bella didn't even want to save him in the beginning. If it's any consolation to you we had to literally beg her to bring him back. But that too only happened because he was still alive."

"Lies, ALL LIES," Victoria pronounced desperate.

"We are not lying Victoria," Edward denounced. "Why are you even trying to avenge someone that could have cared less for you?"

Victoria flashed her view at Edward. "Excuse me?" She asked unnerved. Edward nodded, sadly.

"I first saw it the day we all met. James was attracted to you physically Victoria but that's all you were for him. He only kept you for your ability to determine escape routes. Your talent was the only thing that kept him by your side. If it hadn't been for that he would have never followed you."

"NO! YOU DECEIVING PILE OF GARBAGE," Victoria flared. She kicked herself off the ground and much like Aro and Caius had flew towards Edward and Bella.

Edward hastily stepped in front of Bella ready to defend. The Vampire Lord's watched the scene. They all drew smiles as Edward threw his life in front of Celest. Victoria had her claws ready to strike and within a fraction of a second would dig them into someone. Edward made himself ready to strike back when he suddenly felt a hand on his lower back.

Within less than a millisecond Bella had thrown Edward over her shoulder making him land on his feet behind her between Geneva and Ambrosio who were battle ready also. Edward hadn't noticed his relocation until he saw Bella's head in front of him.

Victoria flung herself at Bella. The Cullen's watched terrified and useless to find one of their own in the turmoil. The events that had been moving so fast in moments became frozen. Victoria dangled off her feet in the air. Bella's index finger was underneath Victoria's chin steadying her and holding her in place. Victoria's arms shook at her side as she became mentally incapacitated. Her feet scratched the burned soil beneath her trying to wiggle free.

"There is no need for this unjustified vengeance child. I believe in the words of this dear one," Bella cocked her head at Edward behind her.

"To sentient beings such as us love is an obvious emotion displayed in eyes, movement, and aura. I did not sense this the day I first met the both of you. I felt strong emotions radiating from you child but not from the one you adored. This confused me when you swore revenge on me," Bella stated.

Victoria puffed and chocked under Bella's single finger grip. "Kill me then," Victoria said broken.

"There is no need for death. Why die for someone that expressed no true love for you?" Bella asked.

"It's too late. He was my consort for a century. I won't ever be able to forget the times we shared together. Even if it was all an illusion," she whimpered.

"So you knew he never truly cared for you?" Bella asked baffled.

"It was about having someone in my empty life. The Volturi killed my sisters and my mother. I had nothing left and longed for someone's warm embrace. What would you have done?"

Bella lowered Victoria to the ground. She stumbled breathing heavily. Jasper felt the pity steaming off Bella. For nigh a century Victoria was James' whore and tool. Only allowing him to use her because she wanted someone to love and depend on but always knowing that he never really returned her feelings.

"You are in need of letting go of the past and restarting your immortality," Bella said.

Victoria shook her head, "It's too late for that." Bella placed her hand on Victoria's shoulder. "It is never too late. All you have to do is want it and I can give it to you."

With bewilderment in her crimson eyes Victoria looked at Bella. "You would do that? After all I've done? Why?" Bella smiled at her.

"Because I have no resentment towards you and because it is the right thing to offer. Always is… "

"How?" Victoria cried.

"Forgive me, and then forgive yourself for being so angry Victoria. And all you have to say is yes and your new journey can begin," Bella whispered.

Victoria covered her mouth hiding her mournful expression. She held back the sobs and tears. She looked about herself at all the faces looking at her in the clearing. She was uncomfortable with being the center of all attention. The person that she perceived as her enemy was offering her a new shot at life. How wrongfully she had accused Bella. All the time knowing how James really felt about her or rather how he didn't. Endlessly driven by anger and the hunger for the kill blinded her from the things she really wanted; family, a lover, and friends.

"Y-yes," she murmured in a broken tone, and weeping. "Oh God yes, please!"

"Very good," Bella beamed at her. "Then the first step of the journey will begin. This will be our gift to you Victoria. Rusalka?"

The gorgeous black haired vampire narrowed her eyes looking at Victoria. "Let it go Victoria," Rusalka whispered in a gentle voice. "No more pain, no more sorrow, fill the hollowness inside." Rusalka concentrated on Victoria sweeping through her memories erasing a century of darkness by the side of James. The atrocities she committed willingly by his side and for him became dim until they disappeared all together. Rusalka didn't hide the memories away like she did with the former four Volturi but instead decimated them completely. Rusalka threw a swift glance at the newborns on the ground too.

Victoria blinked repeatedly and squeezed her eyes shut. The Cullen's slowly glided down the field interestingly watching Victoria's salvation. Victoria opened her eyes after mere seconds with her eyes less dark.

Rusalka smiled, "Finished." Victoria looked around at the faces staring at her. Until finally her eyes met Bella's again.

"Why am I here? What's happened?" Bella shrugged her shoulders.

"I'm not sure. You were passing through with your children over there," Bella pointed at the three newborns on the ground. Victoria had no memory of them. The three remaining newborns got up off the ground blank and confounded.

"From the looks of it they are newborn vampires. You should take care of them wisely," Bella suggested. Victoria eyebrows pushed together amazed.

"Do I know you?" Victoria asked. Bella shook her head, "No, sure don't. But maybe one day you will."

"Oh," Victoria voiced. "Then maybe I should go. I feel like I'm interrupting something."

"Yes, teach your children comprehendingly. They are your family after all." Victoria nodded agreeing with a hint of uncertainty in her demeanor.

"Thanks," she uttered. Victoria left Bella's presence to join the newborns that were as ignorant as her over what had transpired. She huddled them up and motioned them over to the edge of the woods. The newborns followed her instruction and made themselves ready to leave. Victoria looked over her shoulder and at Bella for one last time.

Bella smiled at her, "Goodbye." Victoria didn't respond but pondered with the voice within to why that vampire seemed familiar. Victoria waved at Bella and took off into the woods with her newborns. _One day her journey will lead her to pilgrimage to Elysium_ Bella thought.

Bella sighed and turned to her fellow Vampire Lords.

"It is done."

"About time, if it were up to me there would have been no explanations," Olokun said smiling. He threw a glance at the Cullen's several meters away and waved them over. "Please join us; I would like to hear about you."

Carlisle, Esme, Rosalie, Emmett, Jasper, and Alice smiled and wandered over the lord's where they were met with friendly smiles and handshakes.

Conterra shook Rosalie's hand to her surprise and she laughed. "Hello," Rosalie whispered carefully. Conterra patted Rosalie's hand in hers encouragingly. Tamula swiftly made his way to Carlisle shaking his hand. Carlisle smiled brilliantly and friendly at the ancient.

The Elysium vampires Geneva and co. joined in the greetings being courteous and the exact opposite of what had been described of them. Geneva shook Alice's hand reintroducing herself and her brother. Demetri introduced himself to Emmett and Jasper excitedly.

Bella watched joyful as her brethren mingled with the Cullen's and making acquaintances. She glimpsed over her shoulder finding Edward staring at her, pained. A shadow danced over Edward's face as Olokun interrupted the tension between the two of them.

Edward swallowed nervously as the bulky vampire stood in front of him. Olokun had a serious expression dazzling his features. Olokun's hand found Edward's face. He gently gripped his chin turning his face from side to side examining him. Edward stood still allowing the vampire to do what he wanted with him. Olokun patted Edward's chest while talking to himself, "Strong."

Edward risked a small smile at the compliment. Olokun walked around Edward looking at his every frame. His eyes traveled up and down determining the worth of Edward, and to induce whether or not he was good enough for his sister. Olokun graced his finger between Edward shoulder blades making him stiffen. Olokun began nodding. He walked back around standing between the pair being Edward and Bella.

He smiled at Edward showing his teeth, "You'll be fine," he announced. Olokun retreated and walked over to join in Tamula and Carlisle's conversation. Edward stalked his pace smiling, the feeling of acceptance soaring through him. He looked back to Bella only to find another Vampire Lord standing in front of him; Pilirin.

Expecting the same treatment Edward loosened up. But Pilirin didn't walk about him or tested his body. He folded his arms over his chest looking at Edward up and down. One of Pilirin's brows rose and his lips pouted.

"What?" Edward asked. Pilirin exhaled a frustrated sigh. "I imagined you taller."

Bella covered her eyes with her hand shaking her head embarrassed. Edward chuckled.

"Oh well," Pilirin declared. Pilirin brought his hand down on Edward shoulder giving him a quick and welcoming pat. As soon as Pilirin's hand slammed down on Edward's shoulder he sank to the ground.

Pilirin stood in shock over Edward's frame. Edward covered his shoulder painfully. Pilirin looked at his hand and back to Edward. He glanced over his shoulder at Celest who glared him menacingly. "Oh," he whispered. "Right," he remembered Edward's few years.

Edward managed to stand back up still feeling the sting and sudden immobilizing wave that flew threw his body. He secretly marveled at the strength of the small notion that had almost cost him his shoulder. The strength of the Vampire Lords was monumental he thought. His shoulder began to numb under the pressure of the simple "pat".

Innocently Pilirin stood where Olokun had, between the pair looking from Bella to Edward and back. He folded his hands behind his back throwing mischievous looks back forth between them. "Hmm…" he began. Edward massaged his shoulder trying to extinguish the ache he felt. He was barely aware of Pilirin's stance.

One last time he looked from one to the other before assessing what he had learned.

"Intimacy should be interesting," he said smiling. "Ah," Bella squeaked. Pilirin winked at her and with his chin up in the air pranced over to the group composed of Cullen's and Elysium vampires.

Edward stared after him dumbfounded and looked to Bella. Bella's lips were moving fast and silently as she eyeballed Pilirin with a foreboding omen of ill will in her eyes. Corin who had overheard Pilirin's statement walked past Bella snickering.

"What?" Bella threw at him icy like. Corin's smile deteriorated and he shook his head rapidly. "Good. Go over there and tell them to go to the Cullen's home, and wait for me there.

"Yes milady," Corin consented quickly.

Bella shed the embarrassment Pilirin caused of her and eyed Edward. Edward returned her gaze but only half heartedly shifting his sight from her to the ground and back. Bella placed her fingers underneath his chin and poised his head towards her. She traced his lower lip with her thumb making him breath heavy.

"I think it is time for you know who I really am."

**(Authors Note) – According to my calculations, there are only three chapters left. After which I'll do some extras like summarizing all the vampires and giving a little insight into their history. I'll also do a Vampire Lord profile, but only one, and that would be Celest's. I'll to the others in the coming sequel to the story. I hope you liked it and as always please REVIEW. **


	44. Chapter 43

Sincerity

(Edward's Point of View)

The truth? What did that word mean? I hadn't recognized the truth for so long. Bella was always shrouded in shades of grey. As hard as I tried I could never pierce her mystical presence. Over time I came accustomed to the many blind spots covering her identity and history. What would it be like to know the truth, everything? Would it change my entire view of her? She said she committed despicable crimes in the past but hadn't all vampires? Could I handle the truth?

My heart was broken and tossed a side like a hat someone got tired of wearing. Though it no longer held a beat beneath my chest even now I felt it cracking. I never tried picking up the pieces. What were they good for? I had never used my heart before until I met her. The very first time I allowed the feelings it expelled to fill me they were massacred. There was an empty void she had left somewhere within. I didn't know that love could hurt so much.

I looked into her eyes doubtful. I ignored the chitchat behind me there somewhere in the distance and bored into her eyes. That magnificent crimson glow radiating off them was hypnotizing. Like always she made me quiver and melt inside. Her aroma lay heavy in the air embedding me with its sublime fragrance. My lips shuddered as I looked at her, a small sob was constructing itself in my throat. It was so hard. Her mere presence was like an addiction. I couldn't get enough of her.

Bella broke our stare and looked around me watching my family leave with the rest of the Vampire Lords and former Volturi. They were all engaged in conversation and didn't notice Bella and me remaining still. The Vampire Lords seemed exceptionally interested in my family. They were inquisitive asking questions round after round. I saw that Carlisle and the others were exhilarated to dialogue with them. They were generally consent with being quizzed so much.

I turned away from Bella and wanted to join the group thinking that we were all heading back home. Abruptly I felt a pinch behind me. Bella fingers squeezed the lines of my shirt holding me in place. My expression was blank. I didn't know how to look at her anymore.

"Just where do you think you're going?" She asked puncturing my eyes with her burgundy glow.

"I was heading back with them," I said emotionless.

"Leaving me here?" She challenged. I shrugged my shoulders hiding away the longing to shadow her every move.

"You made your desires clear. I doubt the truth could hold any merit."

Bella sighed shaking her head. Her brows furrowed in a sorrowful notion. Suddenly her hand reached up to my face. Her cold touch cupped my cheek in her palm. Her fingers trapped my ear between them, stroking it. Her thumb traced the line beneath my eyes that held deep circles from my dry sobs.

"My sweet, sweet boy," she whispered lovingly. My reflexes gave away and my conscious mind collided with the yearning in my black little heart. My eyes fell shut and I leaned into her gentle touch. The winter's chill her hands housed had become so comfortable and familiar. I moved my face rubbing my cheek up against her palm.

If this was a dream then it was a good dream. I felt a layer of my despair washing away by her touch. Her coolness extinguished that burning anguish I felt deep beneath the flesh. But the shadows were still there; sheltering the secrets. It was so hard to remember the dark and gloomy face that shattered the blooming seed within me I grew just for her without remorse.

I opened my eyes, slowly, bathing in the moment's glory of her caressing fingers. Her eyes never left me. My sadness reflected in her red orbs and I realized that her ancient eyes displayed the same sadness.

"Come with me," she breathed, enticing me under her spell. Her hand left my cheek and already my being ached for that heavenly brush to return. Bella took my hand in hers and led the both of us towards the woods.

For a second I noticed the ashes twirling through the breeze over the ground. Whatever was left of Aro and Caius began dispersing into all the corners of the earth. I blanked out their memory knowing the truth of their existence and the true architects of our society. Bella and I strode through the trees. I watched out to not accidentally step on her sapphire gown that made her appear like some benevolent goddess.

She spotted a large log in the midst of the greenery covered with moss. She escorted me there without ever severing our hold. Unbeknownst to me my fingers had been squeezing her hand tightly. A small gale of wind blew through her dancing hair filling my nose with her mesmerizing scent of freesias, lavender, and that forever odd but sweet smell of brimstone. As I've said before, a carnival of aphrodisiacs.

Bella positioned my body to sit on the log while she still hovered over me for a second. In a very lady like gesture she folded her gown and joined me on the log. A rumble coursed through my veins like an electric shock when her leg touched mine as she sat so close to me. Bella took the blue scarf off her head and flung it off to the side. Alice would have a fit because it looked expensive.

With her fingers she lifted my left hand off my leg and placed it in her hand before enveloping it in both of hers. Though her head was down I saw the bridge between her brows pushing together. She inhaled deeply I noticed. She flashed her head away looking off into the forest. She hid her face behind the waterfalls of her straight mahogany hair. My eyes rested exclusively on her. The pain of the past three days made me feel weary and completely worn out. I couldn't imagine a scenario of how she felt.

I saw her shoulders move after she inhaled some more of the fresh air around us. As my mind conveyed to me that it wished for her to be more open to her emotions Bella crossed my vision with hers again.

"E-Edward," her voice and face both broke at the same time. She placed one of her hands over her chest where her heart was. "I'm so, so, so, so-o-o-ry," she cried. A sob erupted from her throat and she started to weep. Her small fingers snuggled into the palm of my open hand in her lap.

Shocked I stared at her with no words to fill my mouth. My lips began trembling and a moan escaped them as I watched her frailty. Her head fell again as her chest vibrated with lamenting tears of regret. My eyes fluttered while my own grieve got stuck somewhere between love and hate.

That barrier in my throat that held back the unbearable heartbreak fissured and unleashed the river. A dry sob of my own spilled out of me. What made it easier to experience penance if someone's there by your side to share in its dread? Is it the harmony of two broken hearts? Is it the guilt of one candle that flickers in the night while the other was made dull that invoked such emotions?

In a flash my body was moved and my face was buried in Bella's neck. Her delicate hair tickled me across my face. I felt her arms encircling me. One of them traveled across and between my shoulder blades where my body shook. With the other she intertwined her fingers in my hair holding on tightly. She stimulated my being by patting my head and digging her fingers into my messy hair over and over again. My head welcomed her cheek that she leaned up against it. Somehow the cold helped.

My body fell to the ground completely. And I can't tell if it was instinct or a sudden surge of feelings when my arms embraced her frame and I wrapped my arms around her waist. I rested my face against her chest just above her bosom.

I couldn't tell anymore if it was my imagination or not when I felt swift pricks on my head like kisses.

"My sweet, sweet boy," she cried into my hair. Her fingers eventually found the back of my neck that she trailed softly with her nails. She clutched my hair line with her palm while the tips of her fingers played with my earlobe soothingly. She had no idea what passion and control she asserted over me. Whenever she whispered that sentence _my sweet, sweet boy _I slowly felt life creeping back into me.

If I didn't feel her affliction penetrating every cell in my body I would be convinced that my recent tragedy was nothing but some ghastly nightmare. But here she was, with me, sharing the load.

Bella's hands seized my face in them. She withdrew my tears from her chest and poised my face to fix on hers. She whimpered. Her misery multiplied mine as her emotions bombarded me. In this instant I felt everything she did. I felt the guilt, the longing, the age of sorrow, the need, the regret, that stabbing sting that rips your heart from your ribcage.

"Sweetling…" she murmured. Bella leaned towards me and my eyes followed her marvelous lips as they kissed my forehead. The tender pressure they applied to my grim thoughts unhinged the venomous chains that interlocked them. I felt a sudden relieve as the pain seemed to spread wings and flew off towards distant and unknown horizons. That shadowy frame that consumed me in the abyss of my own self loathing suddenly fell to ruin, and I felt a freedom I had not experienced since fate intertwined our destinies.

"Edward, please, oh please understand why I said all those things. I would be deceiving you if I claimed not having a choice when I did. I had to safeguard the secrets that were buried deep within the earth. For two millennia they were arcane pieces of a riddle dipped so far in the darkness where not even the light could shine upon them.

It was my duty to ensure their mystery. And by protecting something I established myself I pushed you away from me when all I wanted was you to be with me. I am so thankful that you were born my sweet boy."

Words couldn't express my feelings and the flurry of rouge thoughts rampaging through my antique mind.

"It was a terrible choice to make and as much as it flayed me alive I had to think of the whole. But no longer Edward, do you hear me? NO MORE!"

My lips pressed together withholding the cries and staggering revelation of the lines in-between I had missed to read.

"It's time for me to be selfish. A new era is upon us and a new sun rises. The darkness is no longer my companion. I rid myself of that terrible loneliness. I banish the things I'll never do again and seek the pleasure of your arms beneath the lunar sky. I grew sick of the endless demons in the night haunting my every move. So I made a decision. Edward…"

Bella brought my face closer to hers. Heat and jitters made the hair on my arms stand up when she touched my nose with hers. "Edward… I want you, now and forever."

Then her lips kissed mine. Air flooded into me. Her long thin lashes tenderly brushed through mine when she closed her eyes. Bella moved her lips against mine. Her fingers were stimulating my temples releasing the stiffness until I had no choice but to surrender.

Her lips were sweet as honey. My head moved and I leaned into her face kissing her back. My lips trapped her upper lip. My tongue swept across the wet edges of her lip and it tasted like sugar. There was a certain purity in those sweet pieces of chocolate that had my mind flaring. She kissed my lips countering my own kisses. My body felt like mush when the tips of our tongues touched each other reaching the climax of our frenzy. Greedily my lips enclosed hers again before she pulled away.

My vision was blurry and I was barely able to keep my eyes open. I felt her breath invading my mouth encasing it in her delicious incense.

"Can you forgive this old woman?" She muttered against my lips. I saw the honesty in her crimson eyes. The bitterness I had last seen in them absolved and that special warmth was once more diving in its oceans.

"Forgive what exactly?" I asked her dazed. I saw her blink repeatedly giving into confusion.

"What?" Bella whispered. I sighed.

"Bella, I'm not stupid. You told me enough for me to understand that there ARE things more important than me. There are so many souls under your care, souls that you harbor below your grace. You are their champion. They need you. So when you left at first it shattered me," Bella's hands cringed lightly holding my face.

"I wasn't surprised either. You tried to hide it valiantly but failed miserably. I felt the light emanating from you. You are a shining beacon of hope for you people. When I saw you standing there at the spear of your court I saw the courage and inspiration you gave the other lords of old. You filled their emptiness with your imperial presence. You are their leader, the Supreme Vampire Lord. You didn't have to utter a word and I then already understood. You are the one that took their hands and led them into each new era.

Do you think I'm foolish enough to think that I could ever break the fellowship present between you and them or all the children of Elysium like Jane, Alec, and Corin? I was shocked to find out that the loyal subjects of Aro were really on your side but then again I wasn't. I looked at Jane and I saw your signature all over her. I saw the same strength and grandiose spirit as I see in you. I thought it was brilliant and I adored it.

You have a way with people that I don't even think you see Celest Alathielle. Because of you the broken hearts of vampires can survive and the shadows fade into the light. Yesterday becomes some old and creased page of our life's and we look ahead to add new chapters to our stories. Because of you they go on. Why? Because I fervently believe you are a champion; a hero, my hero!"

A smile rose on Bella's face. She tried to conceal it. Her eyes were beaming with that same brilliant light I had just described. She bit her lower lip looking at the ground for a moment, appearing shy. She returned her gaze to me glowing.

"Ha?" She asked innocently. I smiled at her wonderful grimace. My lips couldn't help but unlock when my cheeks started to hurt under the pressure of my own smile.

"You heard me," I smiled at her. Bella released my face from her grip and they slid down unto my shoulders. My fingers weaved together behind her lower back.

"Y-you think so?" She asked laughing.

I laughed out loud, "You don't see yourself very clearly do you?" Acting shy again Bella folded some of her hair behind her ear. I snickered.

I tightened my grip on her and lifted myself off the ground and her off the log. I embraced her with a new flame burning in my being. She swung her arms around my neck kissing it. She and I laughed in unison and though it might have seemed melodramatic I spun us around in a circle.

"My sweet, sweet, SWEET boy," she giggled in my arms. Her laugh was so refreshing and clear. Like healing bells they chimed through me negating all the dusty clutter that had built up. Without fear I poked my nose in her hair and inhaled that sweet scent one more time committing a much stronger version of it into my memory.

"How did you ever know all of this?" Bella looked at me from above smiling surprised yet pleased. I shrugged my shoulders and pouted my lips.

"When I was alone after you left, when I was broken I mean, I began to ponder in everything. I recalled our very first meeting and your very first words. I played it through my mind like a movie in a cinema. When I was so far down in that awful place all I had for a flashlight were memories of you," I made her lower her head and smile.

"I remembered your every word, action, gesture, puns, and everything else I knew about you that made you, you. I saw how the Moriatus was terrified of you, YOU a single vampire when it had torn through us like a knife cutting into paper. Your knowledge and undeniable wisdom of a revolutionary vision for all of us guided me to see that extraordinary light inside of you. I always saw it Bella. I suppose that's what attracted me to you. It was the kindness that you tried to hide.

We saw your kindness as cruelty, disrespect, and terror. But you knew that we needed some discipline and respect for our race. We spent so much effort and energy in defending against your malignant demeanor when secretly your kindness snuck into our hearts. And at the end of the day, that kindness Bella is worth more than any treasure of gold, silver or diamonds in the world. The clarity you bestowed on me gave me the ability to see you for what you are; a saint."

I sat Bella back to the ground. Her expression was overwhelming. The happiness that I saw on her face was worth more to me than any sum of anything in the world. She laughed again shaking her head. She combed a strand of hair out of my face stroking the lines of my head.

"My boy is so intelligent," she smiled brighter than I had ever seen. An angle I thought, in vampire form. What is the world going to show us next?

"But you know," Bella started; her smile lightly diminishing. "I still owe you the truth, especially the lies and truths I wove together in order to suspend you from me."

I nodded vigorously taking on a more seriousness notion too. "Yes, I want to know it all. No more lies, no more hints, no more half truths, I want the whole package."

Bella coughed a laugh, "That might take years," she noted.

"Well, it's a good thing we're immortal isn't it?" Bella shook her head again smirking.

"I'm sure the others are waiting so I'm afraid the highlights will have to do, for now; agreed?" She offered me her hand to shake. Ready to buy anything I took her offer and kissed her hand passionately, "Agreed."

She inhaled and exhaled sharply. I could tell she didn't do this very often. I wondered who outside Elysium knew anything about her. Her name must have only truly appeared in the broils of legends. I saw a little nervousness in her eyes but I erased it with a encouraging nod.

"I am Celest Alathielle, which is my birth name. I was named after the benevolent spirit Celest which in Lantean and Vamerrian means "Divinity". My last name was given to me by my mother whose name was Alathielle. In both the aforementioned languages it means "little hummingbird."

I laughed enjoying this already. Bella mimicked my gesture a little embarrassed. She continued with another fresh breath of air.

"Much like a regular mortal I lived out my life as any other would. I hailed from Atlantis located on the continent of Muu formerly Nedeen. I married and had a child and lived peacefully for all the days my heart had a beat. Unfortunately eternal tranquility was not meant to last and every utopian society is eventually challenged. By a chaotic cataclysm of apocalyptic proportions Atlantis met a terrible end at the hands of a great Leviathan. My wee son died being crushed by a heavy wave. My husband died of an injury and heavy blood loss."

My smile receded, "I'm so sorry Bella. I can't begin to imagine," Bella waved me off.

"No need for concern Edward. I made peace with that long ago. I occasionally dwell and visit those memories but that's it. They don't bind me to the past." I looked at her expression and found no grieve in them. It's amazing the things someone comes to terms with if you add a spice of immortality.

"I washed up on the shores of Morocco. I was dying of heavy energy loss and not even my vast generative abilities could aid me. I had given up the will to live at that point. However, it was not the end. I was found by a vampire not older than you at the time."

"Sekhmet," I answered. Bella nodded.

"Yes, the legend herself found me though at the time she was nowhere near being a legend. She took pity on me and didn't want to see me fade away, seeing it as a waste. So she bit me and transferred her venom along with her memories and those of Ra to me. While I writhed in pain under the transformation she carried me for miles through Algeria and eventually stopped in Libya. She had friends there.

When I awoke and learned what I had become, a Valar, I was outraged. My ancestors fought these beasts and forced them out of our sacred lands all those millennia ago. As a mortal I was able to trace my lineage all the way to Timaeus. This means that he was one of my forefathers also making Tiamat a distant ancestor to me.

Sekhmet tried to control my rage and though she was more experienced she couldn't comprehend what she had done. I, as a Lantean; an advanced human was very different from any other vampire of my age. I possessed abilities that ancients gain after many years on the path of enlightenment such as Telekinesis. Sekhmet and her few friends couldn't stop me. I killed two out of her four friends by setting them on fire. But not just mere flames Edward. My rage ignited flames as hot as those I used against Aro and Caius. I incinerated them instantly.

The rest of them only survived because I broke down and suffocated beneath my sorrow. Sekhmet was very loving back then and embraced me as a daughter and a student. She decided to take me to Elysium hidden deep within the jungles of the Congo. When I arrived there I learned that the myths of enlightenment were true. It was rumored that Timaeus and Critias achieved this and few of their direct descendants. I was overjoyed to learn I had a chance at redemption.

I grew close to the high priest of Elysium, Cronos. He and I became good friends. I also met Rusalka there for the first time. I admitted 2600 years to the cause of ascension. I achieved it so quickly I began to doubt my accomplishment. Days before I had reached that pivotal point of no return Elysium was attacked. Not by werewolves, vampires or Moriatus. A great storm of red lighting destroyed the flourishing metropolis."

I know love I whispered mentally. I saw the tragedy of Elysium and Atlantis both. The circumstances surrounding their demise seemed odd to me.

"After its destruction vampires were scattered to every corner of the earth. Cronos had brought them together in Elysium after the fall of the 1st vampire dynasty. All his work was unmade within one night. I sought a quiet place then to finally reach ascension. I found refugee in an underwater cave and devoted 200 more years to ascension. I would have ascended earlier but I had to prevail over the despair of losing Elysium and several cohorts.

I eventually reached that point Edward. I shed myself of my corporeal form and began to ascend to a higher plane as a being of pure energy."

I gasped, "What happened?"

"I returned. I stopped myself midway and retook my former vampire shell."

"Why?" I asked baffled. From what she had told me no vampire could refuse it.

"Because there was work to do!"

"Work?" Bella nodded stiffly.

"Shortly after the destruction of Elysium in about 8000 B.C the War of Wars broke out; a war that lasted for nearly 5000 evil years. I couldn't simply stand around and allow the world and vampires to fall into darkness. Not to mention all the innocent humans that would be caught in the crossfire."

"What did you do?"

"I set out and journeyed to many lands in search of vampires like me. I needed to find seven powerful souls with unique and strong talents. However that was not the most important factor. I needed to find those that had never been touched by love, and those that would have the stamina for eternity.

I found Olokun being worshipped because of his teachings of enlightenment by humans in Somalia. I knew Olokun would agree without question after all, he was the first vampire I had ever created.

Next I journeyed to Siberia and rediscovered Rusalka. She was luring young males to a river and drowned them before drinking their blood; the true first siren. She converted herself to my campaign. After Rusalka I found Kao-Guojiu in the vicinity of what one day would become known as the city of Xi'an. He was being worshiped as a supreme emperor. I swayed him away from his false godhood and he agreed to my terms and joined me.

I found Pilirin in Australia. He was living near the River of Murray showing inhabitants how to create fire with two sticks thus earning him the title of the Kestrel god of fire. He was bored with his existence and found excitement in my order, one last laugh he thought. He joined me. I found Tamula in South America as the god of night, ruling a primitive tribe.

Apotamkin was making his self known to Native American's as the deity of blood; basically the first embodiment of a vampiric creature in their history. Conterra was more difficult to find. She had hidden herself away in Antarctica. She was frightened of her own talent and wanted isolation from humanity. I promised her to help develop her talent, I did, and she joined me.

So there it was, all eight were gathered."

I chuckled shaking my head. "It's colorful what they all did before coming together. The highlights are fascinating so far. Please, continue."

"At the time I had no idea that Sekhmet was causing much of the pain throughout Europe and Africa. I was stunned when I learned what had happened to her. I told you before; Athena had corrupted her by turning her goodness into pure evil and thereby sired a most ferocious adversary for herself. It was because of her the great war between Greece and Kemet began. To sum it up for you, I became a general in the legions of the undead. My fellow lords gathered vampires from all over the globe and created new ones too. It was shortly before this that we became known as the Vampire Lords.

We lead the undead legions against both great nations and blood and death were ensued. The remaining vampires from Midgard, Romania, Ireland, China, Russia, Norway, and Elysium joined us in this battle and together we overcame the many foes until only the tyrants themselves were left.

I challenged Sekhmet and killed her to be blunt. It was a close battle. Had it not been for the perfecting of my special talent I might have lost."

"God Bella," I groaned. "It must have been hard to kill Sekhmet." Bella shook her head with a stern feature on her marble face.

"I felt sorry that she had been corrupted but the destruction she caused could never have been pardoned. Besides, I knew her, she would have wanted it. That compressing greed, I knew she would have wanted to be free of it."

"What about Athena?" Bella pursed her lips suddenly agitated. She sighed.

"We never found her. But suffice to say that she must have eventually ascended. There is no way she is still out there, I assure you. I'm certain you mind would conjured such a thought but again, no way. She's long ascended, and gone."

I agreed with her. If Bella believed that she was dead then so would I. I saw the clarity in her eyes. "What happened after the war?"

Bella puffed and her face became weary. "The cleaning up was burdensome. We spent 3000 years ending the remaining feuds between countries and removing any evidence to support the existence of our kind. We spent endless eons convincing humanity that we were nothing but some horrendous vision. We couldn't exempt ourselves completely unfortunately. Some things remained in myth but we knew humanity would one day grow to find the legends to be absurd. Of course all the monuments, pyramids, temples, etc had to be brought down. We had to do a lot of reconstruction for humans but the war was our fault so we obliged without question.

The second vampire dynasty that reigned for 10,000 years became known as the age of ash, but also the age of the Phoenix. Because out of the ashes new life sprang and we rebuilt everything that had been destroyed."

"So what age is this?"

"2000 years ago the third vampire dynasty began."

I nodded impressed. "Okay, after that?"

"I think you might now. We, the Courtship of the Vampire Lords decided it was best for us to disappear and fulfill our duties as the lords of old in secrecy."

I interrupted Bella by raising my finger like a first grader with a searing question. "Don't find me rude but what is it that a Vampire Lord actually does?"

Bella smiled, "I'm not technically a vampire Edward." I blinked astonished. I looked at her up and down trying to see some flaw. Her eyes burned red as our kind. Her chalky complexion represented the long life ages.

"Come again?" Bella laughed.

"I have no more need for the elixir of man. Vampires have always been defined by their need for blood. However, the venom of the Vampire Lords, and I have told you this before, has reached a certain stage of purity in which blood is no longer required. After so many millennia the thirst has been quenched. Therefore, some of the Elysium vampires have come to call us True Immortals."

I stood there with my mouth hanging open for about a minute. "Amazing!" Bella was pleased by my expression.

"Also, we are partially ascended." My eye lids fluttered again.

"What?" I asked stupefied.

"Yes, we are half immortal half ascended being. It is very, very difficult to explain sweetling. But be assured that I AM HERE WITH YOU. I can shed myself of this form and retake it. This however does not grant me any special powers but one."

"What's that?" I asked curiously.

"That what a Vampire Lord requires to fulfill his or her duty. You see, after we went into hiding we spread out to many lands. Each of us took certain areas of the world. Apotamkin became the Vampire Lord of North America and the Canadian territories. Tamula rules over South America and its many island chains. Conterra is Vampire Lord of Antarctica. Olokun guards the great African continent while Kao-Guojiu took the entirety of Asia under his control. Rusalka returned to Russia. Pilirin made a return voyage to Australia and rules over it including New Zealand.

And me, I became the Vampire Lord of the most dangerous zone, the old world; Europe."

"Wait a minute…" I stopped her. Bella widened her eyes expecting a question.

"Russia gets its own Vampire Lord?" Bella laughed loudly. I blinked smiling confused.

"Edward, my sweet boy, 2000 years ago the world was very different. I mean you have just heard me associate places with its proper names of today like Morocco, Congo, Antarctica and such but back then these places had different or no names. Not to mention that Russia is very big and was infested with werewolves. It needed one of us to itself."

A bit humiliated I sank back into my feet and gestured Bella to continue.

"Anyway, there is a lot of death in this world Edward. Humans die every single day. Within this world there is something called the life stream. An endless river from where all life originates. When someone dies their soul or essence returns to that stream. Gaia gives birth and nurtures you and when the time comes for you to die you give back what she gave you. However, a great many time's humans die an unclean death. Usually murder is the reason for this.

The souls of an unclean death do not return to the life stream. Their dark spirits linger here on earth. They wander aimlessly throughout the world in sorrow and despair of their death never finding peace. It is a horrific fate for anyone to endure. That's where we come in.

As ancients, as old as we are, we gained the ability to sniff out that weak scent of death. We find those poor souls.

Do you remember me telling you that Vampire Lords were also known as the guardians of the farthest gate?"

I nodded.

"Good, well that is exactly what we do Edward. We use the ability granted to us through ascension and create a passage, a bridge if you will to the farthest gate. We provide safe passage for these beings to travel through the farthest gate to return to the life stream. It is a safe journey and never once have they denied the opportunity. It is somewhat also a mental talent."

I looked at Bella astounded. "What's it like?"

Bella snickered. "The only way you'll know is if you ever become a Vampire Lord; in other words, indescribable."

"Wow," I muttered.

"Now you see why we needed Aro. The duty of guarding and setting forth paths to the farthest gate is taxing. We had no time to guard the secrecy of our world too so we let Aro do it for us. In the mean time Corin controlled Aro's every step and there was no worry of him inflicting too much damage.

And those are your highlights."

I folded my hands across my chest drawing a crooked grin on my face. "But by far it's not all of it. There are so many details in-between those highlights. So much history…" I mumbled.

"Yes but like I said, YEARS!"

"Hmm…" The rest of her extravagant tale might take decades to tell but still, there was one thing she could still tell me. Something that has been troubling me since we reconciled, and inflicted the most friction within me.

"Something wrong Edward? Not satiated enough?" I threw her a swift smile.

I took all the courage I had and would now confront her about it. I relaxed my joints and placed both of my hands on her shoulders. Of course Bella noticed the growing tension inside of me. She cocked her head to the side. I stared deep into her eyes hoping that somehow I wouldn't have to speak the words and that she would do it for me.

After a few seconds of me trying to transfer my question to her Bella' eyes grew wide. She nodded as though she heard me.

_Such a chicken_ _Edward,_ my mind whispered. No, I had to do it. I couldn't let her do it for me. I swallowed the pool of venom in my mouth and asked the one question that could still jeopardized me and Bella being together.

"Before you left," I faltered at the memory but kept on being vigilant, "you said that there was no way that you could ever be part of my world. You said you couldn't stay here in Forks and be one of us. The life here would literally kill you. You don't appreciate that fact; you don't want to stay here. The only reason why you came here in the first place was to get rid of the Moriatus. Is that all true Bella?"

Desperately I tried to glance into her soul to see the answer there. Bella's cheery expression vanished and rue settled in. She kept her eyes on mine, and nothing would break it.

As much as I prayed she would stay with me I simply couldn't envision it. I mean Bella going to high school? Bella spending the days with my family playing games, studying the arts, cooking with Esme, cloth shopping with Alice, and maybe some wrestling matches with Emmett and Jasper seemed like the delusions of a demented man. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't see it.

I awaited her reply.

"It was true Edward," she whispered to the point I had to strain to hear it. My heart regressed back into my stomach.

"I can't stay here, and I can't be who you are here. I have a duty as a Vampire Lord. This duty exceeds assisting souls to pass on. I also help vampires find their path, their way to Elysium. I help them ascend."

"I understand Bella…" I whispered broken all over again. My dreams were destroyed once more. I seemed as though I wasn't going to keep her…

Bella gripped my face back into her hands, delicately, and made me look into her dreamy eyes. There was a purpose in them, a reason suddenly.

"I can't stay with you Edward…"

I nodded in her embrace slowly and disappointed returning to that awful little abyss.

Bella's thumps lifted my cheekbones forcing me to look at her again. Abruptly there was seriousness in her face.

"But I want you to come with me."

**(Authors Note) – Two more chapters, extras, and Vampire Lord Profile of Celest (a little more detail). I hope you liked it. Please REVIEW, I know most of you don't but HEY hope springs eternal :)! **


	45. Chapter 44

In this chapter, towards the end, I listened to and used lyrics from Richard Marx's song "Hold on to the Night" which was absolutely perfect. Just crediting this great artist.

* * *

Final Goodbye

(Third Person Point of View)

The mansion was spurring with life over the arrival of the Vampire Lords. The conversations carried out in the living room were of revealing nature as the lords of old felt no malcontent in spilling their secrets. The Cullen's felt cumbersome over which questions to ask them. At one point or another every vampire pondered in the origins of their kind but it had appeared that the age old mysteries died with the ancients; yet here they were.

Carlisle was carrying on a conversation with Olokun whom he was stunned with. Olokun had answered more of Carlisle's questions concerning vampire origin, history, and traditions than Aro ever had. Furthermore Carlisle became illuminated concerning Bella whom he asked a plethora of questions about. He learned that she was the one that brought the courtship together, lead vast legions of armies against Athena and Sekhmet, and promoted vampire secrecy. Carlisle slowly began to understand her attitude towards him. Perhaps he didn't show enough respect towards the domain he was unintentionally launched into. It was just an errant thought forming in his mind.

Tamula and Apotamkin hovered over Jasper smelling his renovations. The peculiar scent that radiated off of him coordinated with the scent of Celest. For but a second he feared Bella's warning weeks prior about the ritual to restore him being forbidden. But now he discovered it was her that set it forth into being. The Vampire Lords seemed to have no ill will towards her decision to corrupt her own doctrine.

Jasper quizzed Tamula and Apotamkin concerning his new state of affairs. He learned much from them about how he'd have to stay away from humans for at least one year if he planned on continuing his strict diet. He would have to be careful when making physical contact with his family if he didn't wish to crush their bones by accident. The strength flowing through him was much like that of a newborn vampire; he had to be cautions. But soon his crimson eyes would turn back to a honey like gold and the duo was positive he would learn to control his newfound vigor. Jasper was relieved.

Esme was consorting with Conterra in the kitchen discerning that they both had much in common. Conterra browsed through all the food in the cabinets and refrigerator and confided to Esme that she used to like preparing gourmet foods for the humans that used to live in Elysium thousands of years ago. Esme learned a few tips from Conterra concerning blood. She suggested the Cullen's to buy blood from local butchers instead of hunting so they could make it more tasteful and thirst quenching in their home. Esme was intrigued to learn that there were certain spices that actually made blood taste better. Ginger, brown sugar, nutmeg, and vanilla were few of the ingredients that if properly intermingled with blood created a whole new realm of taste.

Pilirin and Emmett were moving along pleasantly. They both discussed various aspects of the humor in life and told joke after joke. They too found they had much in common. Emmett however noticed that Pilirin though funny and sarcastic had a much deeper seated position and an understanding of the world around him he didn't. Nonetheless Emmett was thrilled to meet another comical genius despite Pilirin's obvious superiority.

_What a pathetic little loser, _Emmett thought about Pilirin's statement earlier. In the midst of all the seriousness he couldn't help but parody Aro. Classic, he thought. His new idol he published.

Rusalka and Rosalie had a much more insightful discussion than all the others. Rosalie disclosed to Rusalka her secret longing for children. Rusalka immediately wary of Rosalie's disposition explained to her that it wasn't out of reach. Female vampires that were robbed of the opportunity to have children make do with human turned immortals. Rosalie countered and dismissed the idea saying that it wouldn't be same. When Rusalka asked Rosalie whether or not she had ever created an offspring she told her no.

Rusalka smiled telling Rosalie that creating a vampire offspring was much like having a biological child. The infusion of venom with the blood of a mortal causes the eventual DNA strand to match. It's enough to proof in a paternity test that two vampires are related. Rosalie was curious about the emotions concerning the offspring. Rusalka was happy to reply that it's much like with humans, either they love their child dearly or they leave them.

Rusalka gave Rosalie plenty to think about though the decision to create a vampire of her own was far from her thoughts. She didn't think she could assert enough control to stop once she began feeding. The thought was fueled with the fact that she had never tasted human blood and couldn't predict her reaction to it.

With the Vampire Lords and Cullen's occupied studying each other none of them noticed that Alice was nowhere to be seen; not even Jasper.

Alice peered out the window with a faint smile observing the giant of a storm dissipating into the atmosphere. It had expelled so much fear and mysteriousness that it seemed like child's play now. Only a momentary stir remained of it up there in the sky and before long it will have vanished. The circumstances of the sudden appearances of it were yet to be uncovered but that's an illumination for some other time Alice decided.

She peaked over her shoulder reassuring that the door to her and Jasper's accommodations were shut. Even though Alice was insanely curious about the Vampire Lord's and their history she had other business to undertake. Quietly she stalked over to her closet, a small smile playing around her lips.

The smile only appeared with great distress over her vision of Bella's question to Edward. The Vampire Lord's were much easier to see if they weren't all in one single place she thought. Edward's decision was somewhere there in the realm of possibility, and there was still indecision. He had yet to make up his mind unless she missed the result.

Alice opened the folding doors to her vast, modern, and luxurious wardrobe. The array of colors was blinding, they ranged from primary to more complex pigments. Yet amongst the many blouses, skirts, dresses, designer jeans, scarf's, and other accessories there was one item that was unlike the others.

Alice reached for the brown bag holding the key to a most ancient salvation. It was a tool for peace and eternal sleep. She unzipped the bag and marveled at the excellent work the designer had achieved; especially in following her directions for design and fabric. She ran her hand across the smooth silk like lining of the vest smiling.

A slight chill ran down her spine when a weak cool breeze brushed up against her neck. Alice's pointy spikes of hair shivered slightly at the chill, but her smile grew. Alice turned to see the age old spirit of Helios Nosamielle. As always he was surrounded by his golden glow and was completely translucent, being able to see the door and furniture right through him.

Helios, the mirror image of Edward nodded once. Alice pulled the hanger dangling around her finger up in the air showing off her work. Helios smirked approvingly. Attempting not to draw attention to herself Alice used body language and raised her brows questioningly. Helios blinked assenting.

_She will leave soon, do it now, _Helios ordered. Alice barely made out the words he uttered. She understood enough of what had to be done. Edward and Bella were on their way back from the woods, their hands swinging easily between them. Alice's cheeks inflated while she exhaled nervously.

"Alright," she whispered. Helios smiled with hope rising in his eyes, one last time.

* * *

(Edward's Point of View)

Bella easily kept pace with me on our run back to the mansion. We skipped over logs and trees and the occasional squirrel or deer on the way. Her fingers were braided with mine, her cool touch soothing, and presence invigorating. Who knew life could extend to boundaries of such content and exalting harmony.

Before we chose to head back Bella tore both sides of her dress revealing her naked legs, and breathed relieved. When I asked her why she wore the gown in the first place she merely asked if I knew the difference between casual and work clothes. I laughed, hard. Her demeanor and character became more bright with each passing second. I was delighted to learn that she was a woman that didn't give much concern to fashion or make-up.

Bella said she preferred her black pants, colorful upper garment and a sleek trench coat. I couldn't blame her, and debated whether or not her look would be fitting for me too; with the exception of heels and blouse of course. I felt such solace and purity in me that it was more refreshing than a cool glass of water during a searing hot day for a human. Even my thoughts were comfortable, and all the gloominess and brooding was gone.

Bella seemed much freer than she did before too. Smiles had a simpler time rolling up on her face. The tension and heavy burden on her shoulders of keeping the secret of the Vampire Lords had been lifted. Soon the demise of the Volturi and rise of the Vampire Lords would spread like a wildfire and reach every immortal ear in the world. What would they all think?

They would show more respect to the lords of old rather than to the Volturi, I was positive. Once they uncover how the Vampire Lords had controlled the Volturi, particularly Aro, for their three millennia reign they'd bow down to them. Vampires everywhere would be free of the constant dread of the Volturi. As long as they remembered that the constitution of our society was yet still in place, but at least no longer had to fear having to join or be assassinated by them, surely they would enjoy having eight new immortals on the throne.

Bella and I were merely a mile from the house. I could already pick up the thoughts of my family, excited, thrilled, and overcome with information. But several other minds were mute. The Vampire Lords along with the former Volturi were not to be heard. It wasn't surprising. Bella once said that vampires that travel on the road of enlightenment develop all sorts of skills, and that the older the mind grows the more power it adapts. So I wasn't surprised not to hear the thoughts of Jane, Alec or Corin.

_Edward,_ I blinked startled when I heard Alice inside my head. She must have seen Bella and me returning.

_Edward, no need for worry but please stop. _I slowed my pace, Bella's hand was trying to accelerate me along but I managed to catch her attention. She creased her brows and slowed to a jog before we halted completely.

"Something wrong sweetling?"

"I'm not sure," I replied looking up ahead. "I just heard Alice, she asked me to stop."

"Why, some quarrel with your family and mine?" Bella asked concerned, holding on to my hand.

"Ah, well, I can-," Alice interjected.

_Edward, please send Bella to the small meadow in the woods where you like to visit, the one with the wild flowers everywhere, and then come to the house._

"What?" What was she playing at?

"What does Alice want?" Bella inquired, her eyes curious.

"Well, ah," I started stuttering, "she wants you to go to the meadow, the one I found you at and saw inside your mind, remember?" Bella seemed suspicious.

"For what purpose?"

"If I knew I'd tell you," I sounded as puzzled as Bella did. Alice's sudden instructions were obscure, considering I had no idea what she wanted. Having me part from Bella to send her off into the woods wasn't very becoming.

_Edward, GET IN GEAR! I don't want anyone here noticing what's going on. Please tell Bella that I have a present for her. I just need your opinion, and that meadow of yours seems like a charming place to give it to her. Please?" _

Bella noticed my eyes twitching as Alice transferred more of her thoughts to me. "And?" I smiled pleasantly over my sister's thoughtful gesture.

"Apparently Alice has a gift for you," I brushed my hand up against her marble face. Bella frowned.

"Oh, wonderful, and I have nothing for her." I laughed.

"No need to worry, she's just trying to be nice." Bella raised one of her brows that glistened with hints of skepticism.

"Hmm, still a wee bit strange I think."

"I'm sure whatever Alice has planned will be lovely. But if you're that miserable I'll just tell her you don't want it," I toyed with her. She gave me a grim look through her eyes that grew to slits.

"I'm not miserable. I'm just not too fond of gifts. I already have everything that I need and mostly I never know how to show true appreciation other than say thank you," she explained. Why am I not surprised I thought bemused. Nothing surprised me about her anymore.

"Well Alice is famous for presents so I'm sure it will be delectable," I comforted her. Bella washed away her anxiety with a sigh and I saw the agreement in her eyes.

"Trust me, whatever it is; I'm sure you will remember it forever."

Bella placed a small kiss on my cheek cupping her hand around the other. "Alright then, I'll be expecting something rather monumental then with that in mind," she smiled.

I watched her as she walked north towards the meadow, her mahogany hair swinging back and forth in the breeze, exquisitely. She vanished amongst the green giants and her steps faded away immediately, swift as always.

This had better be good I thought as I raced down through the forest. The unkempt blades of leaves tried to cut at me as I jumped through them along with the mud on the ground trying to stick to my feet. It took me no time to reach a most lively house that I've lived in for years. The chats were underway and I don't think anyone noticed when I let myself in.

The Vampire Lords were matched up with my parents and siblings. They were all engrossed in each other, dwelling on each other, eminently curious about one another. I passed them with a smile. I asked myself how long it had been since the Vampire Lords conversed with someone outside of Elysium. Once more, none of the vampires seemed to have noticed my presence.

I flew up the stairs, yearning to be by Bella side again, and stopped in front of Alice's door.

"Come on in," she commanded. I entered the room finding her sitting on the bed with a grin on her features. There was something woven in her arms but I couldn't make out what it was. An empty bag lay next to her on the bed. I closed the door behind me.

"So what's this gift you talked about? I made big promises to Bella so make sure it's worthwhile," I laughed.

"Oh, it will be," she nodded. "Why not take a look behind you," she suggested.

Perplexed I turned my head over my shoulder. In the instant I did I saw a pair of emerald's staring right back at me. I jumped and backed up. My back touched one of the four pillars of Alice's bed.

Alice's hand flew over my mouth before I could reply to his image. "Shhh," she ordered silently.

_No need for everyone to know about this. It's rather personal._

Alice freed my mouth for me to speak. I looked back and forth between the vampire and the spirit? "You knew?" I uttered as quietly as I could muster. Alice bounced her head up and down gloating.

_No need to blame or show anger towards Alice Edward, _Helios whispered. _I saw Alice as a kindred spirit, someone that shared my precognitive abilities. She has been so kind to aid me in my final act upon this, the physical plane of existence._

I gasped when the sudden realizations swept through me. "Those times I saw you seemingly talking to yourself…?" Alice nodded before I could finish. Unbelievable!

_I am glad to see things have flourished between you and Celest. _

"Yes, they did, thank you." Helios smiled brilliantly. His translucid being hovered over to Alice and I, his eyes traveling between the both of us_. _

_I have asked much of you Edward, but grant me one last favor. I beg you. _

I felt like I wasn't in on all the details of this. I tried to examine what Alice held tightly to her chest but only guessed it to be clothes. Alice raised her brows expectantly awaiting my reply.

"What sort of favor?" I consented.

_Let me say goodbye…_

* * *

(Third Person Point of View)

Night was settling in, fully. The stars were aglow as though just being born. Bella softly beamed at them, marveling in the mystical aura they expelled. For life ages they felt stress relieving for her, and like some of her oldest and most dearest friends. Like the lunar orb they too had seen it all, the hardship, the blasphemy, the horror, and the blood of the innocent running like rivers through the old world.

The many flowers glittered beneath the light of the moon, and what a beautiful place this was indeed Bella considered. There was enthusiasm speeding through her though she tried to remain calm. Edward had agreed to go with her. A smile plastered itself over her face, she laughed silently, and shook her head recalling all that's happened since her arrival.

She had thought of the Cullen's as young children spoiled by modernism, vampires that had forgotten the aeon old purpose. And for once in the entirety of her reign she felt bliss over being proven wrong. Already she was formulating the wonders of the world in her mind that Edward might enjoy seeing.

She blinked and moved her head to the side when she heard noise somewhere behind her. Still about two miles off but approaching fast she thought curious. There are two she thought, Alice and Edward undoubtedly. With a slight sigh Bella expressed the unease of a "present". Presents were a sign of affection, respect or pure selflessness. These things had been of little consequence for a long time to her.

But whatever it was surely she could get over herself and just show appreciation, she hoped.

Several minutes ticked on by while Bella practiced a cheery disposition, as difficult as it was. The more pressing concern was what Alice would present her with. She hardly kept anything on her but the clothes on her back and a few necessary trinkets. No problem she thought, Olokun could always take it with him back to Elysium. Hopefully Alice wouldn't mind if she didn't keep it with her personally unless it was something smaller.

Alice came walking through the trees, alone. Bella greeted her with a smile. "Hello Alice," she broke the silence.

"Hi Bella," Alice hopped over to where Bella was. Bella's eyes searched Alice's hands and pockets but found them surprisingly empty. She felt relieve that perhaps it was a very small offering.

Alice rounded Bella forcing her to follow and so her back was turned to the woods she had just emerged out of. "Bella, could you just stand there like this?" Suspiciously Bella's eyes swept across Alice's form, Alice groaned frustrated, "Please just play along?"

"What's Edward doing back there? I smell him," her nose moved slightly filling with Edward's perfume of lilacs.

"Yes, Edward is back there but would you please just stand right in this spot and not look over your shoulder? Please?"

Bella crossed her arms huffing and puffing and nodding. Alice danced off to the sidelines. With a last glance at Bella, making sure she followed the rules, she waved at Edward to enter. Alice stepped back awaiting the scene that was about to unfold, something over do for 10,000 years and longer.

Alice watched as Edward arrived, looking like he never had before. Edward wore plain white pants, which were a little loose along with a white button up shirt covered with a brown vest. His usual messy bronze hair was neatly combed over with the right side being dominant on his head. Alice gave him an encouraging smile as he glimpsed at her.

Edward closed his eyes. There was an awkward silence settling over the meadow. A breeze coursed through the many wild flowers, their pedals quivering in the frigid blow.

Suddenly a golden light enveloped Edward, creeping out from beneath his chest. Like golden vines they encircled his body hugging his legs first, then his torso and arms leaving his head for last. Alice starred in awe as the honey blond light encompassed him completely. Small glittering sparks washed over Edward trapping him in a shield of gold.

Trying to keep her word Bella didn't look over her shoulder but saw a radiant light shining over the grass. What sort of gift was this she thought bemused? She relaxed her body trying to be grateful over whatever they had in store for her. Edward's footsteps were closing in on her, he must have been in on it too she thought vengeful. She felt a breath blowing on her hair, and _finally_ she thought.

Two sets of fingers lay gently on either side of her shoulders. Bella blinked stunned, the warmth emitting from them wasn't of vampiric nature. Bella inhaled the air and tasted the scent of something sweet and luscious. Her eyes travelled to the fingers resting on her shoulders. There was color in those fingers, they weren't pale.

"What are you two-," Bella turned around and looked into two deep emerald eyes.

Bella's mouth popped open stunned. And for once in her long life, there was nothing for her to say.

"Celest," Helios whispered. "My princess, my eternal love."

Bella sighed moaning and shaking her head, "No, no, no," she cried. A whimper left her delicate lips. In a mere fraction of a second she thought that Edward and Alice were playing some sick joke on her but the scent, the eyes, and the warmth disproved it.

"I am here, as I have always been, never leaving your side."

"You can't be here…" Bella whispered weakly. Helios furrowed his brows and enclosed Bella's cheek in his palm. She trembled and turned away from it. The alien like heat stemming from it had not been part of her existence for a very long time. Helios smiled and placed his hand back down on her cheek.

Bella squeezed her eyes shut and leaned into his touch. Her chalky hand reached over his, like summer and winter they lay next to each other. "Why," she whispered. "Why now? Why after all these millennia?"

Grievous, Helios looked into her dark crimson eyes. "I had to wait…"

_Just when I believed I couldn't ever want for more,  
this ever changing world pushes me through another door._

"I had to be patient until you rediscovered what you used to care the most about my lovely princess; love. The wait though was worth it in my opinion," his voice broke.

A sob came from Bella's throat. "But why," she implored him. Helios caressed her face with his fingers, remembering the touch, bathing in it. The despairing grimace on his face was as breaking as Bella's.

_I saw you smile and my mind could not erase the beauty of your face  
Just for a while won't you let me shelter you,_

"I couldn't just go without saying goodbye Celest." Bella broke into a sob. The pain accumulated for the past 100 centuries came crashing down upon her, all at once, showing no leniency.

"But Edward was so kind as to allow me to stay with him, and for me to plot so I COULD tell you what I waited thousands of years to say Celest." Bella looked back into his eyes blinking.

"That's how…" she wept. Helios nodded.

"Yes, that's how Edward was able to commune with nature. He was my host and my abilities and memories flooded him. And I showed him everything Celest. I showed him the destruction, I showed him the fallen faith for humanity, and I showed him you and me."

"All that?" she asked. Helios acknowledged her with gently blinking his eyes.

_How do we explain something that took us by surprise?_

"But now it's time for you to let go of all that Celest. You and I, it was so long ago, Atlantis was so long ago Celest. It's time for you to lavish all the love you ever felt for me unto him. There is no room for guilt my love. You are not betraying me or our memories. You deserve to love again."

Bella dissolved in tears as one sparkling drop ran down Helios' cheek.

"I will forever live in your memory but that's all I am now. Stop fighting the things you want most in this world and start to live them. I have watched you for so long and your defiance of happiness tore me apart. Love and passion are not your enemies. Let go of the small regret you felt when your heart began beating for someone else again.

I am so blithe over who you truly are, reemerging from within the depth of your darkness. There should be no room for pain or suffering. You have a whole world to explore with Edward. And I, it's about time I return to our people sleeping beneath the earth."

Helios, only forcibly, let go off the cheek of his wife. "Embrace your life and start living for yourself instead for the rest of the world."

"How?" Bella asked doleful. Helios snickered.

"As you used to back then, by loving unconditionally, and living each day as if it were your last Celest." Helios sighed looking at the stars.

"It's about time…" he uttered. Bella cried shaking her head.

"Oh hell, one for the road," Helios declared. With tears running down his own face he took hold of Bella's and pressed his lips to hers.

_Hold onto the night  
Hold onto the memories  
I wish that I could give you something more  
and I could be yours._

Alice held her hands together over her heart, a small sob showering over her. Startled she turned at the sound of a small noise. The Vampire Lords all stood behind her. They were aligned in a single file smiling at the final goodbye of a restless soul.

"How…?" Alice started.

"We could smell him," Kao Guojiu answered for her. "We could smell him for a long time, it's our job after all. But none of us had the conviction or courage to say something."

Helios kissed Bella passionately setting their surroundings on fire. It was like a first kiss, but a last kiss all at the same. With his lips he washed away the years spent in solitude and dusk. Helios unclouded her feelings pushing them onward and back upon her so they could be spilled on Edward, and rendering the feelings for him mute. Only a memory and nothing more, a dream of a dream she dreamt a long time ago.

He pulled away breathing heavily. Without holding it off any longer Helios looked into her eyes one last time remembering their chocolate brown complexion and whispered, "Goodbye."

In her arms, Edward's body began to glow once more. The golden hue shone like a divine light as the remainder of Helios unhinged the ties that bound him to Edward. The golden light rose above them freeing Edward of the remnants. The Vampire Lords watched smiling at what they had already seen so many times, only this time, no bridge to the farthest gate was needed.

The luminous golden aura levitated over Edward and Bella, lingering there. Edward's body became pale and white as snow. Bella watched the green leaving his eyes and being replaced by a golden iris. Edward breathed exhausted.

"What a rush," he expressed. "I could see everything and I felt myself talking but it wasn't me."

Expressionless Bella stood before him; she rid herself of the weeps of her former life. Edward blinked repeatedly and saw Bella's grim and sad visage.

"I never tried to hide it from you, I would never. But Bella he made me." Edward said innocently. To his surprise Bella coughed a laugh.

"Yes, he got that from me." And the humor waned as Bella's character fell sorrowful again.

Edward took one of her hands in his with a false type of hope in his eyes. "Bella, listen, for you I would do anything. I would give you anything, and I would be anything for you, and…" Edward stopped sighing. "If you want me to be, I can be anyone for you."

Under the golden aura hovering over them Bella touched Edward's forehead with her hand and ran her fingers through his neatly combed hair. She rustled his hair making it messy. She separated the folded strains of hair and made them restless. Edward held off a laugh as Bella pulled his head back and destroyed his neat due.

Bella opened into a splendid dsmile, "There you are, my Edward."

Overcome with glee Edward encircled Bella and trapped her lips in his.

_Hold onto the night  
Hold onto the memories  
If only I could give you something more  
Well, I think that I've been true to everybody else but me  
and the way I feel about you makes my heart long to be free  
Every time I look into your eyes I'm helplessly aware  
That the someone I've been searching for is right there..._

The golden aura abruptly burst as Edward and Bella's lips joined. Alice and the Vampire Lords watched smiling as a million dazzling sprinkles of golden drops glided to the ground. They rained on the couple kissing passionately in the middle of the meadow, as they returned to the earth and the life stream.

Helios was at peace. And Bella and Edward held on to each other deeply and kissed into the night.

**(Authors Note) - I hope you enjoyed it. There is one chapter left, the epilogue, the extras, and the Vampire Lord profile of Celest. The extras have been really fun so far, it will give you insight on characters such as Gabrielle and Corin hence they will have much bigger parts in the sequel. Please Review and let me know how you liked or disliked it. Everyones opinion is welcome. **


	46. Chapter 45

In this chapter when Esme mentally speaks to Edward I used lines from Jessica Andrews "Never be Forgotten" which was fitting. I hope you enjoy it.

* * *

A whole new world

(Edward's Point of View)

So much has happened that I couldn't categorize even if I tried. The pieces of my old life were being washed away with a refreshing stream of adventures that lay ahead. It seemed like an old memory, or a stretched out day dream, as I was a prisoner in my own immortality. I never realized the freedom in eternity; no one to stop you or tell you what to do, the entire world is your garden.

Yet, there was a sorrow lingering around the edges of the light that opened a new door for me. The things I cared most about in my old life I would leave behind soon. Though my life held little excitement I cherished the memories of my family. They were the only ones holding me to life. They were my source to the outside world. Carlisle, my father, the one that saved me from that terrible flu and took my hand leading me into the 20th century; what he taught me transcends divine intervention even love.

My siblings were my rocks, my friends, and the people I cared for most. The ones that added some pleasure to my once boring existence, and pushed me onward.

And Esme, my loving mother that accepted me as her own. For decades she treated me like a son and lavished all her love on me. I would miss Esme terribly. I already felt a clot in my throat thinking about saying goodbye to her but after all, it won't be forever. I'll come back one day and maybe I'll be better. I'll be much more experienced and might even be a worthy opponent for Jasper. Who knew what fate had in store for me and Bella.

I buttoned up my dark blue shirt while looking at my reformed reflection in the mirror. In less than an hour I would say my final farewells and would explore a whole new world with Bella. I was aroused over the things I'd get to see, the vampires I would meet, and if Bella allowed it; Elysium. Somewhere I felt guilt over my evoked pleasure, because my family wouldn't be there to join in my contentment.

I picked up the dark trench coat off of Alice's bed and threw it on me. I made sure it was straight and representational. I didn't want to appear a fool if I were to stand next to Bella, or rather the Vampire Lord of Europe. I pondered in whether or not she'd even care.

Speaking of Vampire Lords, they too departed during the wee hours of the morning. As much as they enjoyed the dialogue between our two parties they felt it was time to return to their corners of the earth. Apotamkin, the Vampire Lord of North America and the Canadian territories promised to visit frequently. It was a request set forth by Bella and for my peace of mind. I did feel elevated to know a Vampire Lord would check in with my family from time to time.

Their goodbyes were simple and swift. Jane and Alec, I was still getting used to their true names, along with Demetri and Chelsea left with Olokun. They were the group returning to Elysium. Olokun wasn't just the Vampire Lord of Africa but also the guardian of Elysium. It was an office appointed to him by Bella.

Rusalka, surprisingly, was heading north. Carlisle was baffled when discovering that she was going to introduce herself to the Denali's, our extended family and cousins. Apparently the mother of Tanya, Kate, and Irina was a fledgling of Rusalka's which would make our dear cousins directly linked to the lineage of the Vampire Lords. Rusalka though confided in us that she felt no regret over the passing of the Denali's mother, she created an immortal child, something that Rusalka and the rest of them didn't see too kindly to. Like the Denali's, Rusalka too, never mentioned the name of their mother.

Pilirin, of course had to give me crack over journeying with Bella. He took me off to the side and flung his arm around me, and whispered.

"Let me tell you, I of all Vampire Lords know the secret to light Celest's fuse."

"O-okay," I looked at him innocently.

"Snakes," he roared quietly into my ear, giggling.

"What?" I asked.

"You ever see Harry Potter?"

"C-come again?"

"You know that Parseltongue thing they got going?"

The mischief was literally oozing off of him. "Ah, well, I, I don't know."

"Well, watch it, and then do it, trust me, it drives her _insaaaaane_."

With a big grin he patted my back, feeling a sense of accomplishment, and walked on out the door. The last thing I wanted to do was agitate Bella. I think I had a harder time coming to terms with the concept that a Vampire Lord, a most ancient and wise being, actually has the time to watch something like Harry Potter; unreal.

Conterra, Tamula and Kao-Guojiu each shook my hand with a friendly smile before they too exited the arena and returned to their respective domains. Then, all the Vampire Lords were gone.

Corin, a former member of the Volturi, and an Elysium vampire at heart was the only one to stay behind. He lounged on the couch staring up at the ceiling smiling. Carlisle inquired to why he stayed and Corin told him that he was waiting for someone. Sure enough, that certain someone arrived.

When there was a knock at the door in the early afternoon hours Rosalie went to answer. When she opened the door all I heard was an "Oh, my," and a small giggle. When I came downstairs to investigate a new vampire joined the ranks.

I too was taken when I gazed upon him. He was by far, the most beautiful male vampire I had ever seen. With his wavy, short, and straight blonde hair he politely introduced himself to Rosalie as Gabrielle. Rosalie's hand was over her chest and she snickered like some school girl shaking his hand. Emmett threw a dark look across the room.

"May I come in?" Gabrielle said in the softest and clearest voice I had ever heard. Rosalie, acting like she worked on a run strip at an airport gestured for him to enter.

Around the corner and from the living room came flying Corin. When Gabrielle and Corin's eyes meet they both widened with stars glimmering in their eyes. Without any further hesitation they both ran and embraced each other tightly. Gabrielle ran his hand through Corin's chestnut hair hugging him deeply and placing small kisses on his neck. Corin mimicked his actions.

"Oh…" Rosalie moaned disappointed. "Of course," she sang walking away.

"Excuse me," Emmett bellowed at her. "RIGHT HERE," Emmett pointed at himself. Rosalie patted his head.

"Just a joke monkey man," she laughed before jumping over the couch and into his arms.

"Finally," Gabrielle whispered. "Free of the Volturi at last," he smiled breathing in Corin's scent.

"I know, now everyday can be a voyage to happiness," Corin dreamily stated. They pulled back, remaining in each other's arms, and marveled at one another.

Gabrielle placed his hand on Corin's cheek and murmured, "I still believe in what I once said, sometimes forever just isn't enough." Corin smiled and embraced him again.

They were both about the same height, 5'9, and had the same physique. I could hear Bella coming down the stairs as I watched the chestnut, and vanilla intermingling in each other.

"Well, well, well, apparently someone has not been taught manners," Bella declared smiling leaving the last step of the stairwell. Gabrielle laughed, setting the entire house at blaze with his ostentatious beauty.

Corin surrendered Gabrielle easily allowing him to encircle Bella. Bella gripped his face kissing his cheek.

"Come to retrieve Corin yourself?"

Gabrielle smiled tenderly, "That was the plan."

Bella turned offering me her hand that I took without thinking twice. "Gabrielle, this is Edward."

Gabrielle extended me his hand that I shook, feeling the smoothness of his skin. "Hello Edward, it is a pleasure to meet you."

"Edward, this is Gabrielle, one of my fledglings," Bella announced proudly. My eyes grew in surprise.

"It's an honor to meet you Gabrielle."

Gabrielle returned my smile. So Bella did have "children". I wondered if she saw him like a son. By the warm greet they shared I figured, yes.

Gabrielle and Corin didn't exchange many pleasantries. Gabrielle introduced himself to the rest of my family before he and Corin left, hand in hand. I wondered where they were headed now that Corin was free of his duty with the Volturi. I didn't wonder much longer, I was sure to see them again sometime.

I checked myself in the mirror one last time. I felt like a teenager leaving home to go to college. I couldn't begin to imagine the things I would learn whilst being at Bella's side. However, I did want to imagine the things we would share as a couple. All the events I used to read about, see on screen, or hear from my siblings were about to apply to me as well. Next to Helios, I was the first man Bella granted permission into her life in eons.

I took nothing with me but the clothes on my back and a cell phone in my pocket. I turned away from the mirror and left Alice's room. The house was quiet. I took a last look at the paintings, and many pictures on the wall. The times I shared with them would forever be part of my heart but like every bird, I was finally ready to leave the nest.

On my way down I looked for the others but found the house empty. But I could hear them, practicing their goodbyes. Already my throat tensed up. I walked across the foyer to the front door made of glass. I spotted them standing on either side of the railing outside. Emmett opened the door for me with a grand smile on his face.

I laughed. I spotted Bella leaning against the railing at the bottom of the steps. She disposed of her blue gown and wore low heels, black dress pants, a violet blouse, and a black trench coat of her own, all given to her by Alice and Rosalie. Patiently she awaited me. Suddenly out of the entire mental goodbye's Bella's voice entered my mind.

_Take whatever time you need. _

I sighed and nodded at her grateful.

"Well," Emmett started, "It's been hell of a time for as long as it lasted. But you sure you'll be alright without my _agony _sustaining you?" I laughed shaking my head.

"You always say the first thing that comes to your mind don't you?" I chuckled.

"Hey, that's what makes me, me." Emmett threw his bare arms around me. I copied his gesture and embraced him back patting his back.

"Be careful out there," he whispered. I nodded in his arms and parted from him.

Next to him stood Rosalie, expressionless but wary. We locked eyes on one another without saying a single word. Rosalie sighed, "Yeah," she muttered. She gently wove her arms around me. I hugged her back remembering her scent. I would miss her too, terribly.

I looked into her eyes a last time before moving on to Alice.

Alice smiled flamboyantly and jumped into my arms. I laughed and hugged her to me. I rested my chin on top of her head and kissed it.

"I'll miss you," she mumbled sadly.

"I know, I'll miss you too." I would. I think I would miss Alice the most. Especially considering what she had done for me and Bella. She aided Helios into saying his final goodbye to her. Bella would forever thank Alice for her actions in granting Helios passage to sleep eternal.

"But it's not goodbye forever right?" She asked.

"No, not by a long shot. I'll come and visit as much as I can."

"You'd better. And I'll keep my eye on you Edward, the both of you."

"Yes, you can always make sure I'm okay that way." I pulled her back reflecting my own grievance over our parting in her golden eyes.

Alice stepped back next to Jasper. Jasper offered me his hand and unleashed a sense of serenity and ease throughout my body. I shook his hand still amazed over his renovations.

"Take care of them Jazz," I ordered him. Jasper nodded. He threw his glance over to Bella, his lips parting.

"Thank you again." His appreciating towards Bella seemed endless. She shrugged her shoulders.

"What else was I going to do this century?" Jasper mildly laughed at her statement.

Jasper looked back at me and patted my hand in his.

The moment I was dreading the most then arrived. Carlisle and Esme stood side by side to each other with grim expressions on their faces. I had practiced what I was going to say to them but now the words got stuck underneath the clot in my throat. Carlisle took the initiative over Esme that barely looked at me.

"I am happy about this Edward. For a long time I regretted the life I gave you because of your dissatisfaction and sheer brooding. But now I know I did the right thing. Because of you eight individuals can embrace life again and I…" Carlisle's voice broke. "I am, I'm so proud of who you have become. I'm proud over your achievements and courage to venture off into that big world of ours."

"Carlisle," I whispered lamenting. Carlisle and I embraced. The memories overtook me and I was forced to swim in them. My entire life spent with Carlisle flashed before my eyes. Everything worth knowing in this world Carlisle taught me. Even after I left him to go drink the blood of those I judged to be evil he took me back into his grace.

I couldn't recall my biological father that much but considering my life, Carlisle was my father. He gently smacked my cheek a few times laughing. I kept my dry tears at bay over my goodbye to him. Carlisle sighed and glanced at Bella.

"I'll remember everything you said but I don't think the life you described is for me, not just yet anyway. It is my choice, right?"

Bella nodded, "Always is Carlisle. You have to feel yourself worthy of the path to the white shores."

Carlisle smiled and concurred.

I left Carlisle's side only with hardship and stood in front of Esme. My being quivered over anticipation over what her final words to me would be. She had hid her expression beneath her caramel hair. But strong as she was her golden orbs stared at me mesmerizing, or rather remembering. I read the thoughts flowing through her depressed mind.

"I'll be fine Esme," I reassured her.

In a sad tone she responded, "You'll be different."

"Maybe, I'll be different better."

Esme coughed a weak laugh, "But I like you the way you are now." I acknowledged her. A dry sob erupted over Esme's lips and her face contorted into a mask of agony.

"Mom…" I whispered, and took Esme into my arms. More so than the others I pressed her tightly to me. Esme wrapped her arms around me sobbing into my shoulder. All the emotions broke through Jasper's wall of serenity and coursed through me over leaving Esme behind.

Privately, Esme began to whisper her final thoughts into my mind.

_I'll always see your face, and the corner of your smile. And all the little things that no one will ever know. Like it was yesterday, you won't ever fade away. I won't be able to hold your hand or look into your eyes, and when I talk to you it'll just be echoes in my mind. But if hearts are made of dust and if we fell from the stars whenever I look up to the sky I'll know just where you are. _

_You will never be forgotten, a million days could pass us by and I will always feel you here with me. You're more than just a memory_

_Goodbye is a word Edward that I will never say. _

I hugged Esme even closer to me and wept into her hair. I ran my hands down her back comforting her.

"You call, you hear? At least once a week, and don't be shy calling every day at least twice." I laughed between tears as did Esme. Unwittingly but knowing it was time we left our heartfelt embrace. Esme held on to my hand, her eyes lingering on my face as did mine on hers. I loved Esme. I loved her more than I ever did my own mother. She was the kindest and purest soul I had ever known. It broke my heart that I had to leave her behind.

Abruptly Esme blinked and looked to Bella leaning against the railing. She took a deep breath and descended the stairs towards her. Bella leaned off the railing standing tall as Esme, with respect.

Esme looked to the ground trying to find the right words.

"Thank you, thank you for shedding some light into him." Bella just smiled.

"And I, I…" Esme struggled trying to find the words she had prepared earlier.

"Esme," Bella said daintily. "You are the sort of person that can't find the right words for these occasions are you?"

Esme laughed silently, "What makes you say that?" And then to the surprise of us all Bella enveloped Esme in her arms.

"Because you are just like my own mother was," Bella revealed. "You have the spirit of Tiamat in you, and don't allow anyone else to ever tell you different."

Esme hugged Bella back for but a moment. Bella gripped Esme's motherly face looking into her eyes delighted. "There is no need for worry Esme. As long as he travels with me no harm will befall him. I assure you and give you my word."

I walked down the stairs joining Bella and Esme. Still holding on to Esme's face Bella raised her brows. "Time to go Edward?"

I bowed my head complying. I leaned down and kissed Esme on the top of head. Carlisle moved down the stairs folding his arm around her. My brothers and sisters joined them.

"Well, I suppose that's it." They all nodded with encouraging gazes. Bella walked down the muddy drive way ahead of me.

I followed her, and stopped where she had. I looked into her warm red eyes and realized once again that this was what I wanted. I glimpsed over my shoulder and took a last look at my family. Esme put on a happy smile and waved at me as did Carlisle. Rosalie wiggled her fingers at me, and Emmett had his hand motionless in the air next to his face. Alice and Jasper just looked at me, grinning.

Bella offered me her hand.

"Once you take my hand Edward, there is no turning back. Consider all your options before you take it."

I smiled and without wasting even a partial of a second I accepted her hand. I placed my lips shortly to hers, my way of saying yes. Bella is all I wanted and wherever she was I wanted to be. Bella smiled once I broke our kiss.

"Very well," she said happily.

Together, hand in hand like Corin and Gabrielle had Bella and I walked towards the messy greenery of Forks as I was about to run through it for the last time, and say my goodbye's to it too. And once again I turned my head over my shoulder to look at my family waving at me. Our memories would truly never fade away but it was time that I made some new ones, with Bella in them.

I put on the most grandiose smile I could manage and collected their faces one last time, committing them perfectly into my mind, burning them into my soul. I whirled my hand through the air one last time waving at them. Esme blew a kiss at me that I caught, laughing.

"Let's go," I said to Bella who was patiently waiting.

I kicked my feet off the ground and projected myself into the forest and away from the Cullen's. Bella squeezed my hand tightly. I paid attention to the trees and broken branches in front of me as the minds and scents of my family started to dim.

Somewhere I felt that guilt again. I felt like I was leaving something behind. That there was something unfinished back there. But I suppose everyone feels these mixed emotions when leaving home.

"You'll be fine," Bella whispered as we ran east.

"I know, I know I will be because the time of my life is about to begin."

I felt my wings wildly spread and I was ready to fly. I was ready to soar to unknown horizons there somewhere in the distance, somewhere beneath the sun and above the moon. And I wouldn't have to worry about missing my family because as long as I held them close to my revitalized hear they would never be far.

And finally, Bella and I, a team, were sailing off to shores beyond the mere imagination of man. Where we were headed was beyond the edges of a map. Places that no mere mortal could comprehend.

I had a whole new world to explore with Bella was my guide.

And to think, it all began with the most favorite American past time.

* * *

**(Authors Note) - There it is. Crimson Horizons: Rise of the Vampire Lords is complete. There will be a sequel, "Crimson Horizons: Return of Fenrir" but before that I will be working on a new story "Reflections in the Emerald". Some of you might want the sequel right away but I need a break from Crimson Horizons, and so I can also think of newer ideas for the sequel even though it's alread pretty much planned out. I hope you'll like "Reflections in the Emerald" and will follow me there. It's also a Twilight story past New Moon. **

**I hope you'll like the extra's I have included like vampire summaries and the Vampire Lord Profile of Celest, though limited not to reveal anything about the sequel, and of course the epilogue. Please review before going on and share your comments on the extras, etc. I really hope you enjoyed this story because I had a great time writing it. **

**Thank you all so very much! **

**P.S Should you overlook it in the extras, on my profile page, I have posted links to pictures of the Vampire Lords. They will give you a rough idea of what they look like. The images aren't mirror reflections but close enough. I also found someone for Corin. I hope you like them. **


	47. Epilogue

Epilogue

Rain bombarded the antique London streets. The clouds shadowed the flash moving through the cars and humans holding umbrellas. The small ponds of water parted like the Red Sea when the vampire trashed through them.

Hastily and coated in terror he raced down the streets nearly knocking over people in his path that not even noticed his presence. Like a ghost he moved amongst them trying to retain his identity though his discovery was nightmarish.

He rounded the corner breaking through metal gates running for safety into the Highgate cemetery. He threw his head over his shoulder at every turn trying effortlessly to evade capture by his pursuers.

He tripped but caught his self, dragging his fingers through the mud and getting back to his feet. He thought he had moved beyond their vision. He had to get back; he had to make way across the sea and to the African continent.

He smiled and continued to run but not watching the road ahead. A tremor like an explosion pulsed through the damp earth beneath him. Abruptly a furry and strong grip grasped his neck. The vampire hissed menacingly and clawed at the beasty hold. An ear shattering howl made the skin attached to his face tremble.

A man, dressed in plain black clothes walked around the werewolf, his turkois eyes bored into the crimson glow of the vampire as he sneered devilishly.

"I have a message for Elysium, and the Vampire Lords," he spoke in a rough tone.

The London air then filled with a piercing scream echoing through its halls and rainy atmosphere.


	48. Extra, extra

**Extra, extra**

So I have decided to include vampire summaries about all the new vampires mentioned in my story. I've spent some time creating them, trying to be exact but at the same time not wanting to give too much away. You might notice right away that the summaries of Gabrielle and Corin are much more detailed and longer than the others, well that's simply because the both of them will play bigger roles in the sequel. I had a lot of fun writing these and I hope you'll enjoy them. I also included Jane, Alec, Demetri, and Chelsea because they are highly different compared to the Twilight characters you have come to know, and also have somewhat different histories in my story. Please, enjoy.

P.S You will not find Vampire Lord summaries here. The next and final chapter has the profile of Celest Alathielle (Bella) but that's it. The others I am saving for the sequel.

* * *

**Vampire Summaries**

* * *

**Gabrielle Emanuele**

**Born: **2500 B.C, France

**Changed: **Age 19

**Vampire Age: **4500 years old

**Created By: **Celest Alathielle

**Alias: **Archangel

**Species: **Human (Formerly)

Vampire

**Gender: **Male

**Height: **5'9

**Hair color: **Blond

**Eye Color: **Crimson

**Skin color: **Pale

**Abilities: **Superior physical and mental vampire skills including Telekinesis, Mental Shield, Aura Sensing, Communion with Nature, and Mental Infatuation.

**Special Ability: **Anatomical Manipulation

**Fledglings: **Geneva & Ambrosio (Jane & Alec)

**Affiliation: **Courtship of the Vampire Lords, Elysium

**Summary: **Of Celtic descent, Gabrielle was born over 4000 years ago near the river Seine in Gaul, eventually France, and where Paris would one day be erected. His name derives from his mother that expected a daughter but received a son instead. Gabrielle's father was a successful pottery maker during the Neolithic Revolution and so lived a relaxed and pleasant life style. Early on Gabrielle expressed interest in plants and medicine. When learning of the Egyptian's performing successful surgeries he decided to leave home at the age of 19 to the dismay of his father in order to travel to Egypt.

After one month of journeying he arrived in northern Italy close to Croatia when he was attacked by a Werewolf. Ignorant to the legends of the Children of the Moon he was massacred by the beast and nearly lost his life. He was saved by the Vampire Lord Celest Alathielle who killed the beast and turned him into a vampire; healing his wounds in the process. At first confused and frightened of his new existence he eventually found comfort in the presence of Celest who became his mother, teacher, and friend, like his own mother never could.

Thrilled over eternal youth and the freedom that immortality brought Gabrielle travelled across Europe with Celest for 300 years in which time she trained him in combat personally making him a formidable foe. Much like all Vampire Lords do, at one point Celest left Gabrielle to fend for his self and to find independence.

Gabrielle discovered at an early age that he possessed a very unique vampire talent that he in later years labeled "Anatomical Manipulation". Gabrielle possesses the ability to manipulate the cellular structure of any living thing; mainly blood cells. This gives him a literal "Healing Touch". With the passing of many centuries Gabrielle could not only mend wounds on humans but also force the body to rapidly grow tissue and heal broken bones. His talent also extends far deeper into the interior of anatomy having the capability to heal diseases, hereditary illnesses, and defects such as Cancer.

Wanting to put his ability into good use Gabrielle participated in every major or minor war the world ever offered since his siring. Examples include the Trojan War, Persian wars, Gallic Wars, the Crusades, Hundred Years War, Italian wars, American Revolution, French Revolutionary Wars, etc. Gabrielle moved like a shadow across the war zones healing whatever soldier lay dying. During every war he never chose a side and remained purely neutral. During these numerous vendettas Gabrielle has saved 1000+ lives over the course of eons.

As defensive and pure as his talent is Gabrielle discovered he could also use it offensively in which case it could became deadly. Gabrielle also had the gift to corrupt healthy cellular activity making it possible for him to transfer lethal viruses and diseases. One such virus has the ability to kill a human being within 12 seconds of being infected. This virus also has an abominable effect on vampires. The virus which would be the equivalent to extremely high dosages of solar radiation can cause several issues within the vampire anatomy. Within minutes it can cause open sores, brain swelling, boils, extreme aches, paralyzing pains of the joints, reduction in abilities such as speed, orientation, and strength, and can cause seizures. However, the vampire venom can cure this virus and therefore it is not fatal. Although, if a vampire is affected by Gabrielle's virus it gives him 16 minutes to overcome his enemy with ease before the venom resolves the problem.

The down side of Gabrielle's ability is that it is of mental but also physical nature. In order for the talent to be put to use he must make physical contact. A mere brush of the finger tips is enough for Gabrielle to either unleash a cleansing breath or an infectious terror.

Gabrielle is a follower of enlightenment and has committed much of his immortality towards the cause. He is one of the oldest and most powerful vampires in Elysium.

Gabrielle is described as ostentatiously beautiful with wavy short blond hair, and angelic features. He packs a sportsman like physique and easily catches the attraction of women and men. He has been described as one of the most dazzling, marvelous, and graceful vampires to ever walk the earth. He is very charming, kind, gentle, loyal, and loving. Much like the other Elysium vampires however when it comes to defending his keep, kinsmen, or loved ones he becomes hard as ice, grotesque, and gruesome.

Millennia after his birth he took the surname "Emanuele" which is Greek and means "God in humankind." Rumors float in Elysium of Gabrielle being the original incarnation and idea for the legendary Archangel Gabriel earning him the nickname "Archangel." He never answered to these rumors.

Gabrielle has several PhD's in Medicine and Botany, and has studied at Harvard, Notre dame, and Oxford. He enjoys collecting antique lamps but also likes Yeats poetry, theatre, painting, archeology, computer science, and gardening. He is also quite fond of European Soccer.

His favorite trees are Japanese Cherry Blossoms. Gabrielle highly dislikes Snakes, Spiders, and Clowns. He despises liars and perfectionists.

His mate, and lover for little over 1800 years has been and will always be Corin.

* * *

**Corin Sakura**

**Born: **During 100 B.C, Germany

**Changed: **Age 18

**Vampire Age: **2000+ years old

**Created By: **Pilirin Seforiath

**Alias: **None

**Species: **Human (Formerly)

Vampire

**Gender: **Male

**Height: **5'9

**Hair color: **Chestnut Brown

**Eye Color: **Crimson

**Skin color: **Pale

**Abilities: **Superior physical and mental vampire skills including Telekinesis, Mental Shield, Communion with Nature, and Aura Sensing.

**Special Ability: **Doctrine Implantation

**Fledglings: **None

**Affiliation: **The Courtship of the Vampire Lords, Elysium

**Summary: **Corin was born sometime during the last century before the birth of Christ. He hailed from Trier, Germany and so was a true Treveri. He was born there before the arrival of Augustus in 16 B.C. Corin was the seventh son to his parents. His father was a renowned blacksmith that crafted armor for the armies of Julius Caesar. Corin grew up in a Celtic type Villa with his six brothers who joined their father in his crafting skill's except for Corin himself. Corin was more endowed with artistic gifts and interests such as poetry and music spending most of his days writing sonnets and lyrics.

His father eventually wished for him to join their leader Indutiomarus in the revolt against Julius Caesar when the Gallic War's broke out. Corin fervently declined causing his father to ignore and loath his son.

This would eventually lead to his disgrace. One day when Corin set out into the woods as he always did to write he was cornered by his father and three of his brothers. His father had heard rumors of Corin leading intimate conversations with a stable boy. In reality Corin was trading poems about the gods Mercury, Minerva, and Rosmerta (Unbeknownst to him at the time they were vampires).

Corin's father used a hammer and beat his son brutally. His three brothers joined in the beating. They broke several of Corin's bones including many ribs, his leg, right arm, sternum and others. His entire body was covered in terrible bruises while Corin was drowning in his own blood. To finish, his family threw him in the Rhine River to cover up the incident.

Corin was nearly dead had it not been for Pilirin. Pilirin had visited Celest and was passing through the area when he was attracted by the blood. Pilirin fished Corin out of the water and described what he saw as the most horrendous vandalism of the human body he ever saw. Pilirin injected his venom into Corin thus turning him into a vampire.

As he awoke Corin had perfect memory of what occurred. Thirsty for vengeance Pilirin allowed Corin to take his revenge on his evil family. The three brothers that joined in his father's vendetta were the first people Corin ever fed upon. He snapped the necks of his other three brothers leaving his father for last. However, he learned that his father was already dead. Apparently his mother learned that her youngest was brutalized by her husband and so slipped cyanide in his evening drink; poisoning and killing him.

His mother embraced him thinking that her husband was unsuccessful. In his newborn thirst Corin unwittingly drained his mother. For a very long time this act haunted him until he learned to let go of regret. Occasionally he visits the memory remembering the sorrow but quickly dismisses it. To this day he wears a plain silver ring around his ring finger that belonged to his mother; cherishing her memory.

Corin traveled alone in despair for only a few short decades before he met Gabrielle in Hungary. When he first saw Gabrielle he thought he was a god. Corin tells that Gabrielle offered him his hand with a smile, and when he took it he never looked back at his old life.

Corin was asked to join the Volturi by the Vampire Lords in 200 A.D after discovering his talent. Corin's ability was defined as Doctrine Implantation. He had the unique ability to place ideas into the minds of vampires and humans which they eventually had no choice but to fulfill. It was a subtle form of mind control and extremely useful. Corin manipulated Aro for 1800 years into whatever the Vampire Lords wanted. He was able to save quite a few covenants in the process.

The downside of his ability is that he cannot control how an individual goes about executing the idea making it unpredictable. However, he has learned to intertwine many ideas to form a coherent chain of undertaking.

Corin's physical appeal is very attractive like most vampires. He has short chestnun brown hair that is layered, a heart shaped face, and small dimples that only ever show when he smiles. His physical body is much like Gabrielle's with fine and smooth muscles, and matches him in height. He inherited a well preserved sense of humor from his maker Pilirin and enjoys joking around and being sarcastic. Much like Gabrielle Corin's physical attractiveness is one that male models would trade life and limb for. The Volturi guard Heidi pursued his affection for centuries along with Renata. Corin rejected them both, showing absolutely no interest.

Corin was given the surname "Sakura" by his mate Gabrielle. Sakura is another word for "Cherry Blossom" which is Gabrielle's favorite tree. Gabrielle see's many similarities between the tree and Corin such as his heart shaped face, sweet disposition, and his human and vampire birth which both took place in spring.

Corin became a strong fighter learning with Gabrielle and became an invaluable asset to Elysium. To the Elysium vampires Gabrielle and Corin's relationship became known as Ying and Yang.

Corin's love for art carried into his vampire life. He enjoys sketching, creative writing of poetry, and making music. He has a chiming singing voice. Gabrielle describes his singing voice as the most beautiful sound he ever heard. To Corin Gabrielle and the Sistine chapel are the most divine things in the world.

Besides art Corin enjoys every genre of music, history, and musical instruments. Corin is really into movies and enjoys the horror genre the best liking classics such as Nosferatu, Peeping Tom, and The Fly. He also collects movies having well over 9000 DVD's from around the world in Elysium.

Corin despises Politician's, the smell of spinach, racism, and fish.

* * *

**Andromeda Galaxias**

**Born: **4000 B.C, Greece

**Changed: **Age 24

**Vampire Age: **6000 years old

**Created By: **Cepheus

**Alias: **The Virgin Princess

**Species: **Human (Formerly)

Vampire

**Gender: **Female

**Height: **5'7

**Hair color: **Copper Bronze

**Eye Color: **Crimson

**Skin color: **Pale

**Abilities: **Superior physical and mental vampire skills including Telekinesis, Aura sensing, Mental Infatuation, Mental Shield, Hypnosis, Communion with Nature

**Special Ability: **None

**Fledglings: **Perseides (deceased), Perses (deceased), Alcaeus (deceased), Heleus (deceased), Mestor, Sthenelus (deceased), Electryon (deceased), Autochthoe (deceased), Gorgophone (deceased)

**Affiliation: **The Courtship of the Vampire Lords, Elysium

**Summary: **Andromeda is the oldest vampire occupying Elysium next to the Vampire Lords. Not much is known of her early history other than she was brought to Ethiopia in her early twenties from Greece. Because of her beauty she was made into a vampire by the vampire baron Cepheus who ruled over small areas on the eastern coast of Africa. At one point she fell in love with Perseus but had to bid him farewell after he was called to fight against Egypt. After the initial alliance between Cepheus and the Greek vampire Poseidon failed Andromeda was to be given to him as a present out of good will. Poseidon unleashed hoards of werewolves lead by Cetus upon Ethiopia out of revenge against Cepheus, the wolves being a gift from Athena. Andromeda would have surely perished had it not been for Perseus who killed the werewolf general and sped off into the night with his beloved.

Andromeda had several fledglings she created from the yearning of wanting children. She and Perseus traveled to Elysium where they found safety but were soon called to duty. Andromeda along with Perseus fought alongside the Vampire Lords when they lead their armies against Greece and Egypt. During the ensuing battle Andromeda lost all her precious children with the exception of Mestor, whom she became very protective over.

During the 15th century Perseus ascended to a higher plane of existence spending much his life on the road to enlightenment. Though delighted over his achievement Andromeda became rather depressed and retreated into herself. She waits for the day when she will be allowed passage across the white shores which according to the Vampire Lords will occur within the decade (2010-2020).

Andromeda is described as uniquely beautiful with copper bronze hair that are stretched into curly locks. She is described like a statue of Greece only with crimson eyes. Her features are lovely and extremely pale due to old age. Andromeda possesses no special vampire talents other than abilities she gained over the course of her journey to enlightenment.

Andromeda enjoys the study of engineering and architecture. She played a pivotal role in rebuilding Greece after the wars ended. She spends most of her days playing the harp and crafting pottery.

The surname "Galaxias" she adopted for herself is Greek meaning "galaxy".

* * *

**Maximilian Nibelheim**

**Born: **420 A.D, Norway

**Changed: **Age 21

**Vampire Age: **1590 years old

**Created By: **Conrad

**Alias: **None

**Species: **Human (Formerly)

Vampire

**Gender: **Male

**Height: **6'1

**Hair color: **Black

**Eye Color: **Crimson

**Skin color: **Pale

**Abilities: **Superior physical and mental vampire skills including Telekinesis, Aura sensing, and Communion with Nature.

**Special Ability: **None

**Fledglings: **None

**Affiliation: **The Courtship of the Vampire Lords, Elysium

**Summary: **Maximilian's ancestors were Vikings, a proud lineage, however he grew up in poverty. He survived by hunting in the Norwegian wilderness but found life difficult during the harsh winter months. He lost both of his parents to disease very early in his life and therefore had to make his own way.

He was found freezing to death by a vampire named Conrad that was collecting humans for his newborn army. He became Maximilian's sire but treated him harshly. Conrad was a well skilled fighter and taught Maximilian much but punished him for not demonstrating better combat skill than he did. His punishment was endless weeks without blood which drove the newborn mad.

Conrad was killed only 8 years after creating Maximilian by the Elysium vampire Kali. Kali took Maximilian out of pity to her side before the Volturi arrived to sweep through the rest of the newborns.

Kali expressed interest in Maximilian and showed him the life of a true vampire rather than what he had been taught under Conrad's guidance. Kali eventually took him to Elysium where he trained profoundly wanting to earn himself a name. In 1202 Maximilian watched Kali ascend, having lived for nearly 7000 years and described the scene as the most incredible event he ever saw.

Maximilian is a valiant fighter using his Telekinetic abilities during combat excellently. He is close friends with Corin sharing in their passion for cinema.

Maximilian is tall with short black hair and an oval face. He is thin with pronounced muscles all over his body.

Maximilian enjoys traveling through India naming it his favorite country, due to Kali. Like Corin he enjoys cinema but prefers movies such as the original Man in the Iron Mask compared to Corin's liking to the horror genre.

He took the surname "Nibelheim" after reading Richard Wagner's "Ring Cycle".

* * *

**Xian Nikko**

**Born: **1300 B.C, Japan

**Changed: **Age 17

**Vampire Age: **3300 years old

**Created By: **Kao-Guojiu

**Alias: **Amaterasu

**Species: **Human (Formerly)

Vampire

**Gender: **Female

**Height: **5'6

**Hair color: **Black

**Eye Color: **Crimson

**Skin color: **Pale

**Abilities: **Superior physical and mental vampire skills including Telekinesis, Aura sensing, Mental Infatuation, Mental Shield, and Communion with Nature

**Special Ability: **Mental Glamour

**Fledglings: **None

**Affiliation: **The Courtship of the Vampire Lords, Elysium

**Summary: **Almost nothing is known of Xian's heritage other than she hailed from Japan during the Jomon Period. At one point in time she took on the name Amaterasu and claimed to be the goddess of the sun. This worship only lasted for a century until the Vampire Lord Kao-Guojiu put an end to it. He felt responsible towards her since he sired her previously and left her to fend for herself and find independence (something all Vampire Lords do with their fledglings).

Xian holds a deep love for Kao-Guojiu but found her feelings never returned do to his expulsion of love. It made her bitter and somewhat icy. Kao-Guojiu who withheld his own feelings towards Xian though invited her to join him on his quests and offered her his friendship. Xian overjoyed by the request has been by his side ever since.

During the Boxer Rebellion in the late 19th century and early 20th century Xian aided Kao-Guojiu in stopping the religious war by giving weaknesses in the Chinese Imperial army to the Eight-Nation Alliance.

Xian is very beautiful with long coiled black hair, a small flat nose, round Geisha lips and a thin disposition.

Xian is a devoted follower of enlightenment and therefore also devoted to the cause of the Vampire Lords. She was a strong supporter of Celest when she set forth the disappearance of Elysium and the Vampire Lords thinking that Kao-Guojiu would find peace through this. Her love for him never waned.

Xian's talent has been labeled Mental Glamour or Mental Shape Shifting. As the phrase implies Xian has the ability to make onlookers perceive her as whatever she desires may it be an old maid or an Egyptian scribe. She also has the ability to change only certain features on her body such as making her nose longer, hair shorter or changing its color or changing her eye color. The last sentiment allows Xian to walk amongst humans unnoticed.

Xian is repulsed by religious wars such as the Boxer Rebellion and the Crusades believing that every living thing has the right to worship whatever it is they desire. She enjoys the ocean and dives to study its wonders regularly. When traveling she preffers cruisers instead of airplanes.

She spends most of her time by Kao-Goujiu's side marveling in his magnificence and secretly hoping that he will one day return her affection.

Her adopted surname is "Nikko", which is Japanese for "sunlight".

* * *

**Morrigan Corvinus**

**Born: **180 AD, Ireland

**Changed: **Age 22

**Vampire Age: **1830 years old

**Created By: **Nuada

**Alias: **Phantom Queen

**Species: **Human (Formerly)

Vampire

**Gender: **Female

**Height: **5'7

**Hair color: **Red

**Eye Color: **Crimson

**Skin color: **Pale

**Abilities: **Superior physical and mental vampire skills including Telekinesis, Aura sensing, Mental Shield, and Communion with Nature

**Special Ability: **None

**Fledglings: **Sancar

**Affiliation: **The Courtship of the Vampire Lords, Elysium

**Summary: **Morrigan is an exceptionally beautiful vampire with long thin red hair and a round face, a button nose and perfectly thin lips. She was once ruler of a small Irish coven located in the Slieve Aughty Mountains in the medieval Galway. Her coven was comprised of women with a unique beauty and that celebrated Samhain. Because of her shallowness towards beauty Morrigan earned the title of "Phantom Queen". The raven became her symbol of power.

Eventually she grew weary of her lifestyle and gave a male vampire named Sancar the power over the covenant so Morrigan could travel to Africa in search of enlightenment. Before leaving she was ridiculed for believing in such silly old legends. She kept her courage and traveled far into the south on her pilgrimage conquering the three essentials of enlightenment and "The Test" and was allowed passage to the once marvelous vampire metropolis.

Morrigan has never been mated though had her share of affairs. For a time she lived in Antarctica with Conterra and others inducing herself into deep meditation, preparing for ascension.

Eventually she returned to Elysium in the early 16th century after learning of Sancar's death by a vampire he created himself. Even though Sancar was her offspring Morrigan showed no fret over his passing and instead enjoyed him being murdered by a woman.

Morrigan has no special vampire talents to speak of other than the abilities she gained on the road to enlightenment.

Morrigan enjoys the outdoors and often travels vast distances with little to no human influence. Morrigan enjoys teaching and often guides newborn vampires onto the right road which she hopes will one day lead them to enlightenment.

Morrigan dislikes the taste of animals and strictly feed's on humanity. She also dislikes many forms of music other than soul, and is repulsed by the scent of human food.

Her surname is Latin and literally means "raven".

* * *

**Celestino Alexis **

**Born: **1160 A.D, Italy

**Changed: **Age 20

**Vampire Age: **850

**Created By: **Alessandro

**Alias: **None

**Species: **Human (Formerly)

Vampire

**Gender: **Male

**Height: **6'2

**Hair color: **Jet Black

**Eye Color: **Golden

**Skin color: **Pale

**Abilities: **Superior physical and mental vampire skills including Telekinesis, Aura sensing, and mild communion with Nature.

**Special Ability: **None

**Fledglings: **Lidia

**Affiliation: **The Courtship of the Vampire Lords, Elysium

**Summary: **Celestino was born during the 12th century in Florence, Italy. He was an orphan and grew up in a Roman Catholic Church. He was brought up to become a priest and spent all of his life studying the Bible and Holy Scriptures. Days before his initiation he visited the confessional in his church. While speaking to the priest he noticed that he did not reply and to his horror saw a vampire feeding of the father. When he ran, shouting and screaming, trying to get help he was bounced on by the vampire that bit him.

Already gorged, the vampire allowed the venom to fuse with every fiber of Celestino's being and hid him away for three days in a mausoleum. After awakening his maker introduced himself as Alessandro who arrogantly proclaimed to be a "Master Vampire". He was wickedly convivial over turning a would be priest into a vampire, a creature of darkness. Alessandro, not wanting to provoke the Volturi explained to Celestino the rules of vampirism before deserting him.

Celestino, much like the vampire Carlisle Cullen has never fed on a human, and instead prefers wolves or deer.

Celestino, distraught over the loss of his priesthood traveled aimlessly and without destination across Europe for over 350 years. When he was in Lisbon in 1530, he caught glimpse of a young woman named Lidia who was to be massacred; she had been a Jew but converted to be a New Christian. He remembered her face but thought nothing of it until the following year when an earthquake shook Portugal in 1531. Celestino once again, encountered the young woman and saved her from being buried alive. She sustained grave injuries and an inner voice which Celestino perceived to be God's intervention made him turn her. He claims that it was because of God that he was able to stop and allow Lidia to change.

Lidia became Celestino's mate and they have been together since the mid 16th century. Celestino rediscovering happiness journeyed with Lidia throughout the world until encountering Gabrielle in Prague who offered them both enligthenment; they accepted.

Celestino is very tall with stupendous biceps and a firm grip. He has short trimmed black hair and a slight olive skinned complexion though still chalky. Though having to special talent Celestino is very strong for the average vampire and has a special sense of protecting those weaker than him. He is sometimes referred to as a "gentle giant" because he could not hurt a fly but will defend his mate and fellow Elysium vampires.

Celestino describes enlightenment as the passage to the eternal kingdom of God; heaven.

He took the surname "Alexis", the Greek name meaning "Man of God".

* * *

**Geneva and Ambrosio **

**Born: **During the 6th century B.C, England

**Changed: **Ages 14

**Vampire Age: **2500 years old, each

**Created By: **Gabrielle Emanuele

**Alias: **Witch twins, Elwood's, Jane (Geneva), Alec (Ambrosio)

**Species: **Human (Formerly)

Vampire

**Gender: **Female (Geneva) & Male (Ambrosio)

**Height: **4'8 (Geneva), 5'0 (Ambrosio)

**Hair color: **Light Brown (Geneva), Dark Brown (Ambrosio)

**Eye Color: **Crimson

**Skin color: **Pale

**Abilities: **Superior physical and mental vampire skills including Telekinesis, Aura sensing, Mental Shield, and Communion with Nature.

**Special Ability: **Mind Inflammation (Geneva), Sensory Deprivation (Ambrosio)

**Fledglings: **None

**Affiliation: **The Courtship of the Vampire Lords, Elysium

**Summary: **Geneva and Ambrosio were born twins, Geneva a few minutes earlier, during the Iron Age in England. They were raised in Abingdon by their father, a cattle owner, after their mother died in child birth. Early in their life's both twins expressed exceptional psychic talents. Clan's that were friendly to the twins were showered with good fortune while those showing negativity towards them were bound to ill will. Eventually the Clan's grew frightened of the angelic siblings and forced their father to dispose of them.

In order to hide them away, their father left them with the earliest type of "Druids" deep within a forest to protect them. The Druid's had devilish intentions and were acquainted with the twin's abilities. Unbeknownst to their father the Druids raped both the twins in order to devour their power into themselves, feeling they were possessed by ancient spirits, and wished for the pagan gods to infuse them with their power. The act caused Geneva and Ambrosio to become mentally disturbed and physically repulsed by human touch.

Whilst the druids rested the twins slashed their throats and fled, hurrying back to their fathers hut in Abingdon but finding the entire settlement abandoned. Perturbed and feeling discarded the twins made way to Ipswich county, unnamed at the time, and were incapable of looking after themselves.

They were on the verge of dehydration and starvation in the middle of a field of Daisies, holding hands, when Gabrielle found them. Gabrielle's attention had been caught by the rumors of the twins and made it his mission to seek them out.

Knowing they were dying Gabrielle hastily carried them both across the British territory to Stonehenge, and to Celest Alathielle. Gabrielle described the tales overheard about the twins and asked the Vampire Lord to turn them. Celest refused. Celest gave the duty to Gabrielle whether or not he wanted to make them his children. Initially intimidated by the thought Gabrielle was distressed. However, after a few encouraging words from Celest Gabrielle obliged and successfully turned the twins into vampires.

Celest immediately sensed the power in the twins when Geneva accidentally in her frail newborn control unleashed her talent on her, failing due to Celest's mental defenses. Celest gave Gabrielle the duty to look after them and raise them in whatever way he desired was best.

The twins accompanied Gabrielle for nearly 500 years which they described as a pleasant time, and adopted Gabrielle as their new father. When they learned they were linked directly, through their venom, to the Vampire Lord Celest Alathielle they began thinking of her as "Grandmother". Gabrielle honed their abilities and had them practice on barbarians roaming the land at the time. The twins were pleased with their abilities and offensive power to defend themselves.

Gabrielle eventually brought them to Elysium when he thought the time was right. During their centuries in Elysium they grew close to Celest that treated them as grandchildren, as the twins treated her like a Grandmother and lavished much love on her. Geneva and Ambrosio committed themselves to enlightenment out of respect and yearning to represent Elysium with pride.

In the 8th century A.D Celest confronted them with a mission they graciously accepted. They consented to having their memories blocked and stored in their subconscious mind and joined the Volturi to strengthen their resolve.

During their time with the Volturi the twins' personalities changed drastically much do to Aro's influence turning them into sadists. However, once their memories were restored after 1200 years of serving their true personas reemerged leaving the darkness behind them once more.

Both Geneva and Ambrosio are bestowed with tremendous vampire capabilities. Geneva inherited a skill she named "Mind Inflammation", which creates an excruciating illusion of pain in the target. It is essentially similar to the transformation process from human to vampire. She is able to set ablaze every cell in her enemy, creating a devastating and macabre experience.

Ambrosio has often been called the antidote to his sister's mental burn. The ability of Sensory Deprivation allows him to dull, numb and make away with the senses of vampires and humans. Turning them into statues in the process unable to comprehend or tolerate anything. It is the equivalent to a human black out, with the victim retaining no memory of the events that transpired while they were under it's spell.

Geneva enjoys collecting Porcelain dolls. In her possession are some that are as old as 200 years. She enjoys sowing and fabricating her own attire for her collection including hundreds.

Ambrosio crafts oil paintings also using realistic materials in his art, which is his most delightful hobby.

The twins, to each other, are the most important people in their lives.

* * *

**Charmion Emovere**

**Born: **1100 B.C, Greece

**Changed: **Age 28

**Vampire Age: **3100 years old

**Created By: **Zeus

**Alias: **Chelsea

**Species: **Human (Formerly)

Vampire

**Gender: **Female

**Height: **5'3

**Hair color: **Light Brown

**Eye Color: **Crimson

**Skin color: **Pale

**Abilities: **Superior physical and mental vampire skills including Telekinesis, and a Mental Shield

**Special Ability: **Relationship Bridging

**Fledglings: **None

**Affiliation: **The Courtship of the Vampire Lords, Elysium

**Summary: **Charmion was born and raised in Athens, Greece. After the War of Wars was unofficially over her hometown was invaded by one of the few remaining warmongers of the battles. Zeus returned slavery to Athens and brought hopes of rebuilding his once fruitful army. Charmion was amongst many that were brought to him and turned. She was made a handmaiden and personal bodyguard because of her newborn strength. Unknowingly at the time, and out of hatred for Zeus, she wished for him to disband. This moved the gears of her talent into motion as Zeus slowly watched his minions departing and surrendering to the peace the Vampire Lords had brought.

It was not long after her birth that the Vampire Lords learned of Zeus' plans and barraged him with swift retribution. Charmion then was asked to join the Elysium vampires in their peaceful way of life which she accepted. Charmion did not spend much time in Elysium before the Vampire Lords asked her to join the Volturi. Though mistrustful of the lords first, the Vampire Lords allowed Charmion to sense the relationship between them. This gesture so astonished her that even as a newborn she could feel the very blocks, not bonds, between the lords and swore them her loyalty.

Charmion had her memory blocked by Rusalka and joined the Volturi. It was a plot by the lords to confound Aro that Charmion had been with them longer than she did. Her purpose was to hold the Volturi together as a unit and not let them disperse. Her main priority was Marcus, after Aro foolishly believed to had killed his own sister. Marcus knew Charmion's true allegiances but allowed her to bind him nonetheless.

Like Geneva and Ambrosio Charmion's personality was warped by Aro into a fiendish wrench that enjoyed the suffering of others. Eventually she took the vampire Afton as her mate though never truly expressing any love for him. Once her memories were returned she had no emotional ties left for him.

Charmion is described as small with light brown hair and an hourglass figure.

Charmion's special vampire talent, Relationship Bridging, allows her to sense emotional ties between individuals. Once these ties are detected she can rupture the bonds between friends, allies, and or comrades. Her ability is limited to the point where she cannot manipulate the strings of love and family between people. It is also something she would not dare to cut.

Being an older vampire however only having spent little time in Elysium her abilities are not as developed compared to others such as Corin or Morrigan. She however expressed great interest in the teachings of ascension though is unsure of following the path of enlightenment fully just yet.

Charmion is an excellent pilot and enjoys gliding through the sky's freely, to her, the airplane, was man's greatest invention.

She chose the surname "Emovere" for herself, being a Latin term meaning "emotion".

Even after over 3000 years, she still holds a grudge against the vampire that turned her into a slave, the deceased Zeus.

* * *

**Demetri Vincere**

**Born: **1000 A.D, Greece

**Changed: **Age 23

**Vampire Age: **1000 years old

**Created By: **Amun

**Alias: **None

**Species: **Human (Formerly)

Vampire

**Gender: **Male

**Height: **6'0

**Hair color: **Black

**Eye Color: **Crimson

**Skin color: **Pale

**Abilities: **Superior physical and mental vampire skills including Telekinesis, and a Mental Shield

**Special Ability: **Neural Discovery

**Fledglings: **None

**Affiliation: **The Courtship of the Vampire Lords, Elysium

**Summary: **Demetri was born roughly one millennium ago in Greece and turned into a vampire by Amun. Amun invested much time into training with Demetri to perfect his mental tracking skills. They grew close at one point. Eventually they were approached by Olokun in Egypt not long after his birth. Amun immediately recognized Olokun due to the memory of the lord being part of his genetic inheritance. Amun feared that Olokun was to take Demetri away from him but instead completely ignored his existence and instead focused on Demetri.

Olokun expressed interest in Demetri and his ability and offered him wealth in knowledge. The Vampire Lords after receiving word of Demetri also wanted him to join the Volturi, though not against his free will. Demetri was very intrigued by the ancient. Amun implored Demetri to stay and wash away the obsolete bargain from Olokun. Demetri accepted Olokun's proposal shattering Amun that had wished for Demetri to be part of a new legion of skilled vampire combatants.

Olokun promised Amun that Demetri would be well taken care of and that the Vampire Lords, this time, would overlook Amun's inspirational crusade to return to power. Amun said no more.

Demetri spent a decade in Elysium studying the ancient world and vampire history. During this time he developed an interest in the Irish vampire Morrigan when she visited from Antarctica. His feelings remain secret.

The time eventually came when the Vampire Lords asked Demetri to join the Volturi. Implanting false memories in the mind of Aro once again Demetri became one of the most offensive weapons amongst the Volturi ranks. Olokun oversaw his combat training personally and Demetri learned more from the Vampire Lord than he could have from Amun in centuries.

Demetri is tall with messy black hair that reaches to his shoulders with an olive complexion yet with a chalky pallor due to immortality. He has lean muscles and characterized as very charming, polite, and well mannered.

Demetri's talent "Neural Discovery" or as Aro coined it, "Sensory Location" is the most powerful tracking ability in the world only next to Aura Sensing. When Demetri meets another vampire or human he has the gift to read the tenor of their minds and so can track them anywhere on the planet. He is also described as the best tracker in the world.

Not much about Demetri's personality or favorite past times are known since he only recently rejoined Elysium. Like Charmion, he did not spend enough time in Elysium or on the path of enlightenment to gain the natural abilities other Elysium vampires have.

While in Elysium Demetri took the surname Vincere. It's of Latin origin meaning "Victorious", or "Conqueror".

* * *

**Look at the special gifts of enlightenment**

* * *

**Telekinesis**

Telekinesis is one of the very first abilities vampires gain if they explore the realm of ascension. Telekinesis is both a physical and mental capacity. Using their mind, a vampire locks on a target they wish to move and then use their physical energy to move it. Using Telekinesis on a vampire with a "Mental Shield" is difficult because the target cannot be acquired mentally. Henceforth, it could be compared to shooting at a goal while being in the dark.

Telekinesis has several different stages of power it undergoes until reaching the final designated level of "Omega", defined so by the Vampire Lords. Level 10 Telekinesis or nicknamed "Omega" is the most powerful stage of the ability. Vampires, generally only the Vampire Lords, in possession of such strength have no trouble lifting objects 100 times their weight, large cars or immensely large boulders with a single thought. This level of power can also be used to cause spontaneous combustion.

The lowest form, Beginner, is very weak and vampires of the stature must use their hands in order to move the lightest of objects like pens, clips or bits of paper. The ability though grows if trained over the years.

* * *

**Aura Sensing**

Aura Sensing is described as a supernatural ability rather than natural, by vampire standards. It is similar to tracking yet still different. Through Aura Sensing an individual has the gift to smell the soul of a person, their inner scent. Older vampires describe this as sort of a glow and everyone has a different color. Once the soul has been scented it can be imprinted on, through which the persons involved can find each other easily through "long distance emotions". Sometimes even unknowingly. They can be separated by large continents, and a warm or sometimes cold inner stir will lead them into a one way direction to whomever they seek. A Mental Shield does not make one immune to Aura sensing however, much older vampires can block their auras/souls from being detected.

* * *

**Mental Infatuation**

Celest Alathielle has used this ability on Edward on one occasion to bring him to his knees. Mental Infatuation is gained later on the path to enlightenment. It is a powerful gift that allows the user to make his targets literally "mentally drunk". As the term applies, Mental Infatuation causes, for a time being, a great passion for the person infected, and towards the user. It is sometimes referred to as mind control as well since the affected would even spill their most darkest secrets to the consumer. A strong Mental Shield can hold Mental Infatuation at bay, indefinitely.

* * *

**Communion with Nature**

The ability to converse with plants such as trees, flowers or even the water, the wind, and the very earth is something that vampires universally share. However, most of the time his ability remains dormant and unused since many vampires are ignorant to it. If trained it can be rewarding. It is not verbal communion at first per say, but rather an exchange of emotions like love, hate, displeasure, comfort, sadness or agony. Because of this ability vampires have earned a greater respect for the life around them. Very, very late in the stages of this talent verbal communication can be achieved but then only on a mental level. Celest Alathielle showed this when a tree presented her with a message from Edward concerning the whereabouts of the Moriatus.

* * *

**Hypnosis**

Hypnosis is only achieved towards the very end of the journey to ascension. It is technically mind control but extremely difficult to discipline. Hypnosis that numbs the targets mind and allows the user to "drive" them demands the utmost concentration. The user cannot move nor think of anything but what they are doing while using this gift. It makes it dangerous since it leaves holes for attack if the level of concentration is too deep. Because Hypnosis infringes on free will it was banished from Elysium by the Vampire Lords unlike Mental Infatuation that still leaves pockets of free will. A Mental Shield can guard the mind from Hypnosis however the shield in question must be potent.

* * *

**Mental Shield**

The Mental Shield is the most offensive weapon achieved through enlightenment. It slowly gives birth to itself on the path and while the vampire grows older. A Mental Shield is as powerful as the vampire is old. If the vampire's mind is encircled by the shield he or she is immune to the effects of the mental abilities of other vampires. The shield however is useless against physical gifts. A Mental Shield is special in the sense that it develops regardless of whether or not a vampire is on the road to enlightenment, through it however, it can grow more rapidly and become stronger. The shield is also the first special ability that a vampire during his or her immortality develops.

* * *

**The Vampire Lords**

Alright, I had reservations about doing the following thinking that it was a bit cheesy but I think it would in the end anyway, help you guys envision the Vampire Lords better. I set out, on a great crusade, Google, and searched for individuals that mildly resembled my lords. And alas, I have found six of them. Now the people presented in the pictures aren't exactly my lords of old but they will give you a pretty good idea of what they look like though. Two out of the six I know for sure, they are actors, the other four however, I have no clue to whom they are. If any of you know, don't be shy to tell me. You will unfortunately find not one picture of Bella or Celest. We all have our ideas of what Bella should look like and though I tried finding someone, I failed. I also found someone for Corin, well, like I said, a basic idea.

The pictures below will take you STRAIGHT to Google or an image page and nowhere else. They are not located on any private webpage's or Facebook, Myspace, etc. I hope you like them.

(THE LINKS FOR THE PICTURES ARE LOCATED ON MY PROFILE PAGE, PLEASE PROCEED THERE TO LOOK AT THEM, THEN COME BACK AND REVIEW ON THEM TO SHARE YOUR OPINION)

* * *

**The Courtship of the Vampire Lords**

**Creation: **8000 B.C, Africa

**Age of Organization: **10,000+

**Founder: **The Vampire Lords

**Leader: **Celest Alathielle

**Members: **Supreme Vampire Lord Celest - Europe

Apotamkin** - **North America and the Canadian Territories

Olokun** - **Africa

Pilirin - Australia and New Zealand

Conterra - Antarctica

Rusalka - Russia

Tamula - South America

Kao-Guojiu - Asia

**Residence: **Elysium, Africa

**Affiliation:** Elysium, The Powers That Be

**Summary: **Not very much is known about the true origin of the Courtship of the Vampire Lords other than it was created in order to establish diplomatic relations between vampires and become a foundation of law a very, very long time ago. Several times over the course of millennia the Vampire Lords, its members, have been asked as to why the foundation was initially created. Their answer has remained the same for thousands of years, after being questioned; they turned, and walked away.

The first pioneer and chief of the Courtship is the Supreme Vampire Lord Celest Alathielle who was responsible for its creation.

The individual Vampire Lords administrate large portions of the world, with each seated in a certain location to themselves. This was established during 5000 B.C.

The meeting place of the Courtship other than Elysium is located in England, Stonehenge. It is there where the decisions are decided that affect the vampire domain as a whole.

The Courtship is responsible for many positive influenced throughout its reign:

-Opposing the War of Wars

-Creating an army of great size to battle the war barons during the War of Wars

-Assassination of Sekhmet

-Ending the War of Wars

-Governed policies of peace between vampire nations

-Instigated absolute secrecy of vampire existence

-Rebuilt the old worlds of Europe, Africa, and Asia after the War of Wars

-Returning ascension to the hearts of vampires

-Disposing of the werewolf elder Fenrir

-Bringing werewolves to the brink of extinction

-Bringing Moriatus to the brink of extinction

-Removed crucial evidence that would justify vampire existence and evicted such from human history.

-Proprietors of the Volturi until their downfall

-Banishment of immortal children

-Cured the Black Death

-Instigated the Spanish Influenza

These account the most monumental actions of the Courtship. The Courtship has a sizable legion of followers to this day, who either reside in Elysium or in different parts of the world acting as lieutenants to the lords of old.

The Courtship has however certain responsibilities that it upholds to this very day:

-Protect vampire secrecy over anything else

-Creation of "mental bridges" to allow the souls of the unclean to pass through the "farthest gate" and be at peace.

-Oversee human development

Many other aspects of the Courtship remain shrouded in mystery.


	49. Vampire Lord Profile

**Celest Alathielle**

**Born:** 10,700 B.C, Muu

**Changed:** Age 53

**Vampire Age:** 12,700 years old

**Created By:** Sekhmet

**Alias:** Lilith the Queen

The light of Elysium

Morgan le Fay

The Lady of the Lake

Bella

**Title:** The Vampire Lord of Europe

The Supreme Vampire Lord

Guardian of the Farthest Gate

**Species:** Lantean (Formerly)

Vampire (Formerly)

True Immortal (Partially)

Ascended Being (Partially)

**Gender:** Female

**Height:** 5'7

**Hair color:** Light Mahogany Brown

**Eye Color: **Dark Crimson

**Skin color:** Very Pale

**Family:** Unknown mother (deceased)

Unknown father (deceased)

Tiamat (Ancestor, deceased)

Apsu (Ancestor, deceased)

Timaeus (Ancestor, ascended)

Critias (Ancestor, ascended)

Helios Nosamielle (Husband, deceased)

Calahan Alathielle (Son, deceased)

Sekhmet (Creator, deceased)

Edward Cullen (Lover)

**Abilities:** Superior physical and mental vampire skills including Telekinesis (Omega), Aura sensing, Mental Shield, Mental Infatuation, Hypnosis, and emotional and verbal communion with Nature.

**Special Ability**: Pyrokinesis

**Fledglings**: Olokun Manumba

Gabrielle Emanuele

Marcus Volturi

**Affiliation**: The Courtship of the Vampire Lords, Elysium, The Powers That Be

**Summary: **Celest Alathielle, as a mortal, was born on the continent of Muu in the metropolis of Atlantis during the remainder of the 1st vampire dynasty. She was named after a benevolent Lantean spirit whose name meant "Divinity". Her surname was given to her by her mother, meaning "little hummingbird". As a mortal Celest was not born human but as a Lantean, a superior species of humanity that had vampiric traits in its genetic makeup but still looked humanoid. As a Lantean Celest was promised longevity up to 300 years of life, regenerative healing capabilities, psychic talents, and the genetic memories of her ancestors whom she could trace all the way back to Tiamat.

Being born in Atlantis which was seated on a spiritual nexus of power, Celest like the rest of her people was born with the ability to communicate with nature on an emotional level. She had the ability to associate with all forms of nature including plant life, water, wind, and earth which her peolpe called "the spirits".

As an adult Celest was a teacher that taught young Lantean minds the way of communion and tranquility with nature, and also taught the history of the their city. Another subject she taught was the four species that were the Valar, Beolgo, Moriatus and Shurrings, teaching children the signs as to recognize the broods. She was described as very talented in her profession, teaching with love, kindness and appreciation for each and every child no matter who he or she was. During these times she met Helios Nosamielle who she would eventually fall in love with and join in unison (marriage).

After two decades of being together their union brought forth a child when they were both in their mid forty's. Even though they would be considered older to human standards, they retained the youthful appearance of 18 or 19 year olds do to the Lantean lineage, and decreased aging process once they came of age at 17.

Celest sired her son Calahan Alathielle.

Celest, Helios, and Calahan spent many happy years together growing as a family. Unfortunately these times were limited. When a great disturbance was discovered in the balance of spiritual energy the Lantean's uncovered the truth of a great tsunami heading for Atlantis that would absorb the entire continent. The initial rituals to calm it failed so Celest desired to depart with her family and flee to what they knew as the land of Nod, Africa.

When having secured a boat Celest and Helios returned to their home but had to watch in horror as their son was buried and drowned alive, only seconds from being rescued. The memory of her son would forever haunt Celest on a subconscious level so much even that it would conjure him as a guide to Edward Cullen through the maze of her thoughts.

Celest had to be drug away by Helios that left the Atlantis harbor with his wife, ferrying to the mainland. During the trip Helios was gravely injured and lost much energy, so much, that his regenerative abilities were useless to him. Celest had to watch in anguish as her husband too, was slowly fading away. Eventually she reached the shores of Morocco and had lost the will to live, Celest cuddled herself to the dead body of her husband seeking death herself.

She would have succeeded had it not been for Sekhmet that smelled her peculiar odor. When Sekhmet found Celest she was intrigued over the human, as she perceived her, and wished to save her. She bit Celest and injected her with her venom. Sekhmet was a descendant of Ra and carried his genetic memory. As such, Celest Alathielle as a vampire is in possession of both the great genetic memories of Ra, and his greatest adversary Tiamat.

Sekhmet carried Celest a great distance to safety. When Celest awoke to her new life and discovered what she had become she was outraged. So much, that she immediately found her many talents. In her rage she set ablaze several of Sekhmet's acquaintances and telekinetically moved and exploded boulders.

Because she was a Lantean and not human when being turned, and also the first and only pure Lantean to ever become a vampire, she showed signs of abilities that vampires only usually gain after many years on the road to enlightenment. Because of her strong psychic abilities in her mortal years, and when the venom intensified these powers, they manifested immediately after her birth into vampirism.

Once she had calmed Sekhmet marveled in Celest's power and asked her about her origins. When Sekhmet learned that Celest was from Muu, formerly Nedeen, she primarily did not believe her. But visiting the memory of what she saw, along with the legends she knew of, Sekhmet admitted that it must have been true.

Sekhmet and Celest traveled together for about 200 years before they journeyed to Elysium. It was there that Celest met Kronos, the sacred guardian and high priest of Elysium. She remembered the legends of ascension but was unsure what to think of it until allowing Kronos to elaborate on the matter. Fascinated by the mere idea of ascension and shedding herself of the unholy armor of immortality Celest dedicated herself to the crystal path.

She spent the next 2000 years preparing for ascension. During this time she parted from Sekhmet that wished to explore the world further. Having grown close to Sekhmet and forgiving her over turning her into a vampire they split with dry tears.

Celest was the youngest vampire to ever reach enlightenment. After little over 2000 years she had already achieved the stage in which she would soon ascend. It was all due to her ancestors that passed on the genetic gene of the vampire throughout the many Lantean generations giving her a "head start".

Shortly before her ascension dark clouds covered over Elysium as the city was befallen by some apocalyptic end. Celest along with many other vampires made safe passage for the humans to flee and carried the injured out of the city, telling them to go north, towards Kemet. Celest, then, could not explain what had caused the sudden mayhem to wash all over the city. She watched in terror as Kronos was ready to sacrifice himself to the above fire like entity. Attempting to save him she was stopped by her fledgling Olokun, and friends Rusalka and Conterra. Forcibly they tore Celest away from the scene and fled with her into the night.

**(Authors Note) – This is where I will stop with Celest's prehistory because it would reveal too much about the sequel in which Bella confides everything to Edward anyway. Besides, you guys already have the highlights :-))**

Celest is one of the few vampires that have a physical gift. When she was a newborn vampire she learned that if she concentrated hard enough and used a powerful emotion as a trigger she could set things on fire. This ability was untamed at first, sometimes settings things ablaze without wanting too. Over time she learned how to control her own power. As Celest grew older and advanced further on the path to enlightenment she discovered that she could not only create fire but also manipulate in any way, shape or form. She taught herself how to create flamethrowers and large fireballs, and a plethora of other techniques. Initially after this she thought she had reached the limits of her powers.

Many millennia later Celest learned that her powers had advanced even further. Her ability of Pyrokinesis granted her the gift to manipulate the thermal cohesion of fire. She could manipulate the temperature of the flames she created. This makes her a formidable enemy, possessing the power to incinerate vampires immediately. Celest is also an incredible fighter with many years under her belt and has yet to lose a fight.

Because of fighting numerous Moriatus over the years Celest has grown immune to the deadly screech they unleash to paralyze vampires.

Because of her duty as a Vampire Lord Celest does not have many interests other than helping the souls of the departed to cross through the farthest gate. But when visiting Elysium she enjoys engaging in conversation with the Elysium vampires especially her fledgling Gabrielle and mate Corin. She also grew fond of Geneva and Ambrosio whom she treated like grandchildren. When in Elysium she likes to participate in certain festivities.

With Gabrielle and Corin she has watched several films mainly due to Corin's love for cinema. While exploring the world of Hollywood Celest found "The Wizard of Oz" lovely, "Nosferatu" repulsive, and Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds" just plain creepy.

In her long reign Celest only ever sired three vampires; Olokun, Gabrielle and Marcus. Celest discovered Olokun amongst an ancient African tribe that was sacrificing him to the heathen gods in order to bring water unto their crops. Celest, disturbed over the act removed the human's in her path and saved Olokun, turning him into the first vampire she ever created.

She found Gabrielle thousands of years later after he was massacred by a werewolf she was pursuing in northern Italy. When she saw his loveliness she saw great shame in allowing him to die when she had the power to save him. And she did.

Marcus was the only vampire that Celest created after specifically picking him. It was in about 1800 B.C when she found Marcus. The Vampire Lords at the time wished to create an elite that could act in their stead and uphold the laws of the vampire world. Celest found Marcus the appointed leader of his village and became curious. He was the only vampire that she turned without a life threatening cause.

As a very old vampire Celest is physically, immensely powerful. This physical might is only challenged by the power of her mind. As a vampire of considerable age she discovered that about 3000 years ago her body stopped yearning for human blood. She and the other lords explain this as their venom reaching a certain point of purity in which blood is no longer required. Because of this, the Elysium vampires have begun calling her and the other Vampire Lords "True Immortals". Being partially ascended gives Bella a special power. The ability to create a bridge for the souls of unclean death to travel through the farthest gate, and return home to the life stream; the center of life.


End file.
